34 pages • 1-hour read
Better Nate Than Ever
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Character Analysis
Nate Foster
Nate Foster is a 13-year-old boy living in the small town of Jankburg, Pennsylvania. He is short and somewhat stocky for his age. However, he humorously describes himself as “Five foot nine with broad, slam-dunking hands and a girlfriend (in high school!) and a clear, unblemished face. Pretend I look like that […] I do, except exactly opposite plus a little worse” (1-2). Nate’s height, weight, pronounced underbite, and love of musical theater single him out for abuse by school bullies. Everyone assumes he is gay because he likes to sing, which doesn’t endear him to his family and classmates either.
Nate’s older brother Anthony is a popular athlete and the golden boy of the family, while he himself is generally ignored. Nate has always dreamed of becoming an actor on Broadway. When open auditions are to be held for a musical version of E.T., Nate concocts a plan to get himself to New York. Once he arrives, he loves everything about the Big Apple. It’s the first time in his life that he doesn’t feel like an oddball because New Yorkers are more tolerant than the judgmental townsfolk of Jankburg. After many trials and tribulations, Nate achieves his dream of auditioning and gets cast in the role of E.T. Along the way, he helps his aunt rekindle her own interest in the stage and makes his mother realize that dreams are worth fighting for.
Libby
Libby is Nate’s best friend. She is built similarly to Nate: “Libby crouches down and her jeans strain at the knees. We have identical bodies, other than the obvious stuff” (5). Libby moved to Jankburg two years earlier, and she bonded with Nate over their mutual love of musicals. They stage their own theater productions and offer each other encouragement and moral support.
Libby works out the details of getting Nate to New York and covers up his absence when his parents start asking questions. She is just as excited as Nate when she learns of his multiple callbacks. Nate assumes Libby will be his agent someday, as she prefers this to the stage. The novel ends before Libby realizes her own dream, but it seems probable.
Aunt Heidi
Heidi is Nate’s aunt and his mother Sherrie’s estranged younger sister. When Nate first meets her, he describes her:
She’s beautiful, actually. Maybe a little soft on the sides, but her almond eyes are matched by a lovely old-fashioned face, shaped like a guitar pick, all curves leading dramatically to a small chin with a big mouth. The only one in the family that’s just like mine (68).
Heidi hasn’t spoken to Nate’s mother for years. Unlike the rest of her family, Heidi had dreams of leaving Jankburg and pursuing a life in theater. However, some bad reviews and rejections from casting directors left her feeling defeated. She now works as a waitress in an upscale restaurant, Aw Shucks.
When Anthony calls Heidi to fetch Nate at the audition, she becomes involved in his quest to win a role in E.T. By the end of the novel, she succeeds in patching up her strained relationship with her sister and auditions for a commercial.
Freckles
Freckles is Heidi’s roommate and coworker at Aw Shucks. The reader never learns his real name; Freckles is Nate’s nickname for him. Nate immediately takes a liking to Freckles because the waiter is also an out-of-work actor.
When Nate learns that Freckles is gay, he is intrigued. Nate hasn’t decided his sexual orientation and sees Freckles as a role model for owning one’s identity. Freckles proves to be a supportive friend to both Heidi and Nate.
Nate’s Mother (Sherrie Foster)
Nate’s mother, Sherrie Foster, is the straitlaced owner of a flower shop in Jankburg. Unlike her sister Heidi, she never pursued a dream. At the beginning of the novel, Nate views her as a conformist who is proud of her eldest son, the athletic Anthony, but embarrassed by his own oddities. She wants Nate to fit in, but he has other ideas.
Nate’s view of his mother changes once she pursues him to New York, expecting her to be angry instead of relieved to see him safe. By the end of the novel, Sherrie reconciles with Heidi and demonstrates support for her son’s dream of becoming an actor.
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