Characters from The Best American Essays

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

Lucy Grealy - This person struggles while living with a facial disfigurement.

Philippe Petit - This individual sees the world as a mailable piece of art and wants to expand its boundaries. This character has a fascination with trying to walk between well-known structures.

Nat King Cole - This person has a specific memory about a famous person's hair.

Mercedes - This person receives a misdiagnosis and dies from an unknown illness.

Dave Rahm - This person practices a dangerous and impressive skill and dies as a result.

Mr. Weidel - This...
(read more)