Tony Loneman, the protagonist in There There by Tommy Orange, has a few traits that influence his relationships with others.
One, he is Angry. Two, he is miserable. Three, he is loyal.
These traits influence his relationships with others. We can see it in this passage from the story:
“ I’d give away my own heart’s blood for her,” Octavio said. His own heart’s blood. That’s the way I felt about Maxine”
Tony’s loyalty comes into play here when Octavio mentions his feelings of loyalty towards someone significant to him. This causes Tony to think of Maxine and how he had that same sense of loyalty to her and would do anything for her. Maxine is Tony’s grandmother and is one of the only people who can read Tony and is actively there for him.
Later, in paragraph 57, Tony’s mom interacts with Tony, basically talking with him.
“Don’t fucking call me simple. You fucking did this to me.”
Tony Loneman’s response here deepens a reader’s sense of his misery and sparks a feeling of Anger.
