Archer's Voice

Bree is Archer’s love interest, and most of the novel is told from her perspective. Bree has recently left her home in Ohio after the murder of her deaf father, Charlie. During the attack, Bree was molested and humiliated. The trauma of this event causes her to move to Pelion, a town in which she once vacationed with her parents. Bree is now orphaned and plagued by flashbacks to the night of the attack. Along with Archer, her character arc also forms the foundation of the theme of Peace: Finding a Resolution for Past Traumas. Bree integrates into the community of Pelion and parallels the journey of Archer’s mother, Alyssa, who was admired by the Hale boys. Archer and Bree’s love leads them on respective paths of healing and coping. Bree’s devotion and trust in Archer illuminates the protagonist’s growth and his journey to maturity.

Bree is described as young and beautiful with long, light brown hair. She is attractive, good humored, and compassionate toward others. Bree often acts on her emotions, such as slapping Travis and pushing Archer away after he went to the strip club. Bree can often be repressed or hasty, which hinders her ability to communicate with others. While she is the one with whom Archer communicates for the first time through sign, Bree hence also demonstrates Varied Forms of Communication in her own character arc.

Bree acts as a motivator for Archer. Archer’s love for Bree prompts him to begin a journey away from his isolation and trauma. Bree offers Archer the space to see how another person copes with a similar trauma. Archer needs to see how Bree copes and loves so that he can emulate those qualities and learn from her experience. 

Travis is Victoria and Connor’s son. The reader learns that Travis is also Archer’s half-brother, since Connor is truly Archer’s father. He is described as funny and charming; however, he shows flashes of anger and hatred toward Archer. Melanie and Liza describe him as a lady’s man who gets around. Travis takes Bree on a date and expresses continual interest in a romantic relationship with her. He represents the sexual threat that is a present undercurrent in the novel due to Bree’s experiences of assault. Travis tries to sabotage the relationship between Archer and Bree out of jealousy. In these instances, he shows the manipulative qualities of his mother. On the other hand, such as when he saves Bree from Jeffrey, he shows the courage of his father.

Travis is a complicated character. Travis proves that he can be unfeeling and competitive. However, when his mother betrays his trust and shows that she can be an unfeeling criminal, Travis reevaluates his behavior. This character development creates a sense of resolution in the falling action of the novel. The reader is led to believe that, one day, Archer and Travis will have a positive relationship.

Victoria is the primary antagonist of the novel. She is the wife of Connor Hale and the mother of Travis. Victoria actively works to keep Connor and Alyssa apart. She is one of the primary reasons that Connor is unable to save Archer and Alyssa from his abusive brother, Marcus, because she told Marcus that Alyssa and Archer were leaving with Connor. This prompts Marcus to chase them down and kill Alyssa, shoot Archer, and murder Connor. After witnessing the scene of the accident Victoria blames Archer, ensures that his vocal chords will not be restored, and then abandons him with Uncle Nate. She represents acts of silencing and isolation that initiate the major conflicts in the novel.

Victoria maintains control of Pelion until Travis becomes 25. She plans to build condos to replace the locals’ homes and businesses. Her antagonism hence also relates to the theme of Small Town Love as well as to Archer’s voice. She is described as someone who values wealth and power. Many townspeople claim that she is manipulative and are suspicious of her. Victoria is ultimately defeated when Travis learns of her involvement in Bree’s attempted murder and runs her out of town. Victoria embodies avarice, jealousy, and cruelty; she is hence a flat character who has no redeeming qualities and is wholly villainous.

Uncle Nate is the brother of Marcus and Connor Hale. Nate has PTSD from his experiences in war and is considered to be unstable but harmless. After Archer loses his parents he is sent to live with Uncle Nate. Nate is responsible for Archer’s continued isolation because Uncle Nate’s paranoia keeps him from interacting with the community. Uncle Nate hence represents endemic societal issues that lead to the isolation of people with disabilities.

Uncle Nate speaks to animals and set traps all over his property. He does not help Archer mature through his adolescence, keeping him in the dark about sex and puberty. Uncle Nate dies before Bree comes to Pelion and this leaves Archer alone and unsure of how to fend for himself since Nate has not let Archer leave their property since he was seven.