The Great Santini | Characters & Character Analysis

The Great Santini Characters

Colonel Bull "The Great Santini" Meecham

Bull's character drives the events of the story. As an "old school Marine," he is a powerful, charismatic maverick who insists on running his family the same way he runs his squadron, with complete authority. Bull is a man's man, whose loyalty to his military peers earns him their friendship and respect. Comfortable only in what he considers a man's world, Bull excludes women and children from his inner circle. He believes women are the sexual servants of men, and his greatest aspiration for his daughters is that they grow up to be attractive and sexually satisfactory to their husbands. Throughout the novel, Bull makes no attempt to grow as a human being. He purposely limits his experiences to people and surroundings that reinforce his base prejudices. Like many abusive men, he refuses to allow any ideas which might broaden his narrow views into his head. The only book he...
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