Here in the Real World

Jolene is a bold, purposeful character, who becomes a foil and catalyst for Ware’s growth. Her first interactions with him are blunt and confrontational, and her intensity unnerves him. Ware describes her mirrored sunglasses as protective armor, comparing them to arrow slits in a castle wall. Jolene is emotionally guarded, but also highly perceptive, especially about injustice. She tells Ware, “Here in the real world, bad things happen” (106), forcing him to reconsider his idealism and begin seeing the world clearly.

Jolene is a foil for Ware in several ways. She has a practical drive that contrasts with Ware’s abstract imagination. While he fantasizes about castles, Jolene is growing papayas and figuring out how to sell them. However, both have survival-based mentalities. Jolene must survive her aunt’s abuse and find a way to pay her rent. Ware’s imagined medieval world brings order to the chaotic dynamics and indecipherable rules of his daily life. They both have difficulty expressing their emotions. Jolene keeps Ware at a distance at first, refusing to let him help sell her produce or gather compost. Before meeting Ware, she defines social interactions through self-reliance and confrontation. When Jolene cries over the loss of her garden, it reveals vulnerability beneath her toughness and her potential for emotional connection. Whereas others isolate Ware, Jolene isolates herself.

Like Ware, Jolene is curious and thoughtful. Her observation of a candy wrapper’s journey leads her to the insight that “everything was something else before, and everything will be something else after” (170). This idea inspires Ware throughout the story and leads to him making his film. Like Ware, Jolene also sees what others don’t. Her interest in trash disposal reflects her ability to see the hidden side of things and ascribe value to things that most people consider meaningless.

Jolene grows through her relationship with Ware. She begins to trust him and allows him into her world, even becoming part of his family life. When she catches Ware wishing to be “reborn normal” in the moat, she is quick to correct him. Her firm but kind words show how much she has come to value Ware’s difference and leaned to form emotional bonds. Jolene’s arc is about learning to accept support without compromising her independence. She is a survivor but also a loyal friend, a fierce protector of the natural world, and a hopeful character who, like Ware, wants to make the world a better place.

Ware’s parents are minor, round characters whose growth arc mirrors their son’s. They are well-meaning but struggle to understand Ware. Ware’s mother’s life is highly structured and scheduled, and she over-manages Ware. His father is distant and, as a sports lover, cannot find ways to connect with his fantasy-oriented son. Ware's parents often mistake Ware’s solitude for sadness, even though Ware feels content being on his own. This fundamental misunderstanding, along with their desire for Ware to be “normal,” build years of tension between them. A turning point occurs when Ware confronts them after learning about his grandmother’s diabetes. He criticizes their overprotection and challenges them to help him solve problems rather than hide them from him.

Ware's mother gives Ware advice that defines a moment of parenting growth when she tells Ware to focus on the parts of problems he can fix. This new approach empowers Ware, who applies it to his friendship with Jolene, his creative pursuits, and the auction of the lot. Later, his mother apologizes for saying she wished they had a “normal” kid, admitting she didn’t mean it and was overwhelmed. When she sees Ware’s film, she finally understands and affirms him. Ware’s parents grow with him, going from control and misunderstanding toward respect, recognition, and acceptance. Their change mirrors Ware’s own journey of slowly seeing the world clearly.

Big Deal, Ware’s grandmother, plays a minor but meaningful role in Ware’s development. While she is physically absent for much of the story, recovering after a fall, her accident catalyzes the plot and causes Ware to reflect on what it means to protect and care for others. Ware’s guilt over not protecting her motivates him to do more for others. He starts to realize that being a hero isn’t about fantasy quests but about taking on real responsibilities and showing empathy to the people in his life.

A major turning point comes when Ware visits Big Deal and accidentally learns about her diabetes from a neighbor, something his parents never told him. He realizes that protecting someone also means being included in the truth, and when he confronts his parents, they realize that he is old enough to understand and help.

Through Big Deal, Ware also begins to understand Jolene better. During their visit, Big Deal points out that Ware doesn’t know much about Jolene’s life, even though they are close friends. This realization forces Ware to acknowledge that true friendship involves more than shared projects; it also means asking hard questions, listening, and being vulnerable. Big Deal indirectly inspires Ware to grow in emotional intelligence during his journey of Renewal and Rebirth, and to go from living in his own world to engaging with others.

Uncle Cy is a minor character who plays a crucial symbolic and emotional role in Ware’s coming-of-age journey. Cy is an artist and mentor figure who represents a different kind of adulthood than the scheduled lives Ware's parents lead. Ware shows him the lot and his work there, and in return, Uncle Cy gives Ware the validation he has never received from his parents or peers: “The lot is your art right now. You’re creating it” (141). This affirmation is a defining moment for Ware, helping him see himself as an artist for the first time and begin to accept himself as he is. Cy also offers Ware a sort of philosophy; he tells Ware that art is not about approval or recognition, but about Finding One’s Purpose as the communicator of ideas. This idea deeply resonates with Ware, who has long struggled with his sense of purpose. In a world where he is often considered too odd, too dreamy, or too isolated, Uncle Cy gives him a new framework for understanding himself. Solitude isn’t a flaw; it’s a tool that artists and visionaries use to create meaning and make the world better, which is exactly what Ware hopes to do.