Too Bright to See

Roderick is Bug’s uncle and Sabrina’s brother. He dies at the very beginning of the story, but remains present throughout the narrative both in Bug’s memories and as a ghost. Roderick was gay; he came out when he was 16, first to his friends and sister and then to his parents, all of whom were supportive. He sometimes traveled to New York to perform as a drag queen. When Sabrina’s husband died just after Bug was born, Roderick chose to move to Vermont with her to start a new life. The three of them lived together for the next 11 years until Roderick died of an illness.

For all of Bug’s childhood, Roderick was supportive and loving. After his death, Roderick remains a supportive presence; his ghost haunts Bug, trying to help him realize that he is transgender. Roderick provides an ideal of how family members should treat trans individuals; he suspected that Bug was trans, and collected plenty of pamphlets about trans identities in hopes of supporting him when he was ready. Sabrina notes that Roderick was always confident about who he was, a trait that she greatly admired. 

While many ghost stories are scary, Too Bright to See takes a more comforting approach, seen through Roderick’s benevolent presence. Bug is initially afraid when he realizes he is being haunted, but feels better once he realizes that the ghost is his uncle, who would never try to hurt him. Roderick’s actions as a ghost are not always clearly directed, but he does manage to communicate some things. He tells Bug several times to be himself—a key message of the novel as a whole. More comically, he knocks Bug’s mac and cheese over, as he would never have approved of Velveeta instead of fancier cheeses. His most significant action as a ghost is shaving Bug’s head after his birthday party, allowing Bug to finally come to terms with being a boy.

Sabrina is Bug’s mom and Roderick’s older sister. She was married to Bug’s father, who died just after she gave birth. To cope with the loss, she moved to the family home in Vermont with Roderick. After her husband died, she grew frustrated by how saccharine and trite most of the condolence cards she received were, so she started making her own and selling them. Business does not go well for some of the novel, particularly with the extra costs associated with Roderick’s illness. 

Sabrina and Bug enjoy a close relationship. Sabrina gives her son a lot of freedom to be whoever he wants. She also trusts him to know how to take care of himself, including making himself dinner when she goes out. Sometimes, Sabrina treats Bug too much like an adult: He finds it very stressful when she tells him about her financial troubles. From her point of view, it would be better to give Bug some warning about changes to his life instead of suddenly telling him that they have to sell the house.

Sabrina also provides a model for how one should treat trans family members. When Bug comes out, she accepts him immediately and calls him her son.

Moira, or Mo, is Bug’s best and, for a time, only friend. She has frizzy red hair. The two have known each other all their lives because their mothers are business partners. When they were little, they did not get along. At around the age of 9, they finally found some common ground, and their friendship improved. Now that they are about to start middle school, there is a distance between them once again. The two come from different social classes: While Bug’s mom struggles to keep her business afloat, Moira’s dad is a very successful architect who designed his family’s home. 

Moira and Bug have very different experiences with gender. From Bug’s point of view, Moira can be a girl effortlessly. She never seems uncomfortable or out of place, like Bug feels. Moira is surprised to learn this, saying of her makeup skills: “Do you know how many hours I’ve spent studying this stuff, colors and techniques and everything?” (143). Like many kids about to start middle school, Moira is worried about fitting in and making friends. Her attempts to get Bug to wear makeup and more girly clothes are misguided, but they come from a place of genuine care for her friend. When Bug comes out, Moira is happy for him and is excited to take him shopping to get clothes he will feel more comfortable in.

Griffin is another kid around Bug’s age. He has just moved into a farmhouse in town. Although Griffin and Bug only interact a handful of times, their connection is significant. When he is around Griffin, Bug feels like he can be himself. He feels envious of Griffin, wishing his clothes would fit him the way Griffin’s do. Bug is very nervous about his ability to make new friends, but Griffin shows him how easy it can be. He is ready to accept Bug for who he is. 

Through Griffin’s point of view, the narrative shows how Bug appears as a boy to those who do not know him. For example, Griffin is taken aback when he sees Bug in a dress, implying that he thought Bug was a boy when they first met. To his credit, he never asks Bug any questions about his gender. He instead focuses on what he and Bug have in common: their shared belief in ghosts. Griffin is an aspirational character for Bug. He is confident about being a boy and he finds it easy to make friends, two things that Bug wishes for himself.