Under the Dome

Stephen King

61 pages 2-hour read

Stephen King

Under the Dome

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Dale is an Iraq War veteran working as a short-order cook at Sweetbriar Rose. He keeps a low profile and prefers to stay on the move to avoid his painful military memories. When the Dome descends, his combat experience and tactical mind make him a natural leader, though his status as an outsider leaves him vulnerable to local political machinations.

Key Relationships

Subordinate of James Cox

Trusted ally of Julia Shumway

Political rival of Big Jim Rennie

Target of Junior Rennie

Employee of Rose Twitchell

Friend of Rusty Everett

Big Jim is the Second Selectman of Chester's Mill and the owner of a local used car dealership. He masks his deep corruption behind a facade of folksy charm and evangelical piety. Behind closed doors, he runs a massive methamphetamine operation and views the sudden isolation of the town as a perfect opportunity to establish himself as an absolute dictator.

Key Relationships

Father of Junior Rennie

Rival of Dale Barbara

Associate of Andy Sanders

Secret employer of Phil Bushey

Commander of Peter Randolph

Co-conspirator with Lester Coggins

Junior is Big Jim Rennie's twenty-one-year-old son and a volatile young man prone to violent outbursts. He suffers from debilitating, undiagnosed migraines that fuel his erratic and aggressive behavior. Appointed as a special deputy, he eagerly uses his new badge to terrorize residents and settle personal scores under the cover of martial law.

Key Relationships

Son of Big Jim Rennie

Enemy of Dale Barbara

Friend of Frank DeLesseps

Attacker of Angie McCain

Julia is the independent editor and owner of the local newspaper, the Democrat. She inherited the paper from her family and takes her civic duty to the town seriously. Unafraid of Big Jim Rennie's threats, she uses her press credentials to document the town's rapid descent into authoritarianism and actively works to broadcast the truth.

Key Relationships

Close ally of Dale Barbara

Civilian contact of James Cox

Opponent of Big Jim Rennie

Employer of Joseph McClatchey

Known to his peers as Scarecrow Joe because of his height and thin build, Joseph is a highly intelligent thirteen-year-old. He possesses a sharp political mind and quickly deduces that the government is withholding information. He organizes his skateboarding friends to run reconnaissance and gather data about the invisible barrier.

Key Relationships

Friend of Norrie Calvert

Friend of Benny Drake

Son of Claire McClatchey

Employee of Julia Shumway

Norrie is a tough, pragmatic teenager who frequently skateboards with Joe and Benny. She is observant and brave, willingly venturing into dangerous areas of the town to help her friends locate the source of the Dome. Her loyalty to her friends keeps her grounded during the escalating panic.

Key Relationships

Friend of Joseph McClatchey

Friend of Benny Drake

Granddaughter of Ernie Calvert

Supporting Characters

Benny is a fast-talking, good-natured teenager who rounds out the central skateboarding trio. He is easily swept up in Joe's ambitious plans to map out the Dome's properties. Despite the danger, he remains a steadfast companion on their secret excursions.

Key Relationships

Friend of Joseph McClatchey

Friend of Norrie Calvert

Rusty is a dedicated physician's assistant who works exhaustively to manage the medical crisis caused by the barrier. He is observant and quickly notices discrepancies in the town's resource management, particularly regarding missing propane tanks. His commitment to his patients puts him on a collision course with the town's corrupt leadership.

Key Relationships

Husband of Linda Everett

Father of Janelle Everett

Father of Judy Everett

Ally of Dale Barbara

Linda is a veteran police officer trying to maintain order as her department is flooded with untrained, aggressive new recruits. She balances her stressful duties with her deep concern for her family, particularly her daughters who begin experiencing strange visions. She cautiously handles the political minefield of the corrupted police force.

Key Relationships

Wife of Rusty Everett

Mother of Janelle Everett

Mother of Judy Everett

Colleague of Jackie Wettington

Piper is the reverend at the local Congregational Church. She struggles with her own theological doubts, often referring to God as The Great Maybe, but remains deeply committed to the well-being of her parishioners. She fiercely advocates for the vulnerable and refuses to look the other way when the new police deputies abuse their power.

Key Relationships

Protector of Sammy Bushey

Ally of Dale Barbara

Andy is the First Selectman of Chester's Mill and the proprietor of the town drugstore. He is a mild-mannered man who relies heavily on Big Jim Rennie's assertiveness. Grieving the loss of his family, he is easily manipulated into continuing his secret complicity in Rennie's illegal drug manufacturing.

Key Relationships

Husband of Claudette Sanders

Father of Dodee Sanders

Associate of Big Jim Rennie

Secret customer of Phil Bushey

Known to the town as The Chef, Phil is a severe addict who manufactures methamphetamine for Big Jim Rennie. He lives in a state of deep, drug-induced paranoia that is worsened by the supernatural isolation of the Dome. He views the barrier as a sign of an impending apocalypse and guards his drug supply fiercely.

Key Relationships

Husband of Sammy Bushey

Secret employee of Big Jim Rennie

Supplier to Andy Sanders

Brenda is the grieving widow of the town's late police chief. While searching through her husband's computer, she discovers a hidden file documenting the extensive criminal activities of Big Jim Rennie. She quietly gathers evidence, intending to use it as leverage to break Rennie's grip on the town.

Key Relationships

Wife of Howard Perkins

Ally of Dale Barbara

Former romantic interest of Romeo Burpee

Investigator of Big Jim Rennie

Known affectionately as Duke, Howard is the veteran police chief of Chester's Mill. He is a diligent officer who secretly investigated the town's political corruption before the Dome's arrival. Tragically, he is one of the first casualties when the barrier's electromagnetic properties cause his pacemaker to fatally malfunction.

Key Relationships

Husband of Brenda Perkins

Subordinate to Big Jim Rennie

Jackie is a reliable, veteran police officer. She is immediately suspicious of the aggressive tactics employed by the new deputies and the sudden shift in department leadership. Recognizing the threat to civil order, she actively coordinates with the citizens opposing Big Jim Rennie's regime.

Key Relationships

Colleague of Linda Everett

Subordinate to Peter Randolph

Operative of James Cox

Colonel James Cox is a US Army officer stationed on the outside of the Dome. He communicates via specialized military channels to reinstate Dale Barbara's rank and task him with investigating the barrier from the inside. He operates with a level of military secrecy that leaves the trapped citizens questioning his true motives.

Key Relationships

Commander of Dale Barbara

Contact of Julia Shumway

Peter is rapidly promoted to police chief following the death of his predecessor. He lacks strong moral convictions and functions primarily as a willing pawn for Big Jim Rennie, implementing martial law and turning a blind eye to the abuses committed by his newly deputized officers.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Big Jim Rennie

Commander of Jackie Wettington

Andrea serves as the Third Selectman of Chester's Mill. She is quietly battling a severe addiction to OxyContin, a vulnerability that Big Jim Rennie uses to blackmail her into supporting his policies. As the crisis deepens, she struggles to overcome her addiction and reclaim her moral agency.

Key Relationships

Colleague of Big Jim Rennie

Colleague of Andy Sanders

Patient of Rusty Everett

Sammy is a young mother and the wife of Phil Bushey. She endures horrific abuse at the hands of the town's newly appointed law enforcement officers. Her trauma exposes the complete collapse of justice and civil protection within the isolated community.

Key Relationships

Wife of Phil Bushey

Ward of Piper Libby

Victim of Frank DeLesseps

Frank is an aggressive local who quickly jumps at the chance to join the town's expanded police force. He uses his new badge to intimidate and assault residents, embodying the swift deterioration of law and order under the Dome.

Key Relationships

Friend of Junior Rennie

Romantic interest of Angie McCain

Attacker of Sammy Bushey

Angie is Frank DeLesseps's ex-girlfriend. She becomes an early target of Junior Rennie's violent outbursts, suffering the fatal consequences of his unchecked rage and his vendetta against Dale Barbara.

Key Relationships

Former romantic interest of Frank DeLesseps

Victim of Junior Rennie

Friend of Dodee Sanders

Rose is the hardworking owner of the local café. She commands respect within the community and uses her level-headed demeanor to calm frightened residents, helping to temporarily defuse a riot over food shortages.

Key Relationships

Employer of Dale Barbara

Lester is an evangelical reverend deeply entangled in Big Jim Rennie's illicit drug and money-laundering operations. He interprets the Dome as a divine punishment for his sins and frantically seeks to cleanse his conscience, making him a severe liability to his former partners.

Key Relationships

Co-conspirator with Big Jim Rennie

Carter is a thuggish local who is eagerly deputized into the police force. He quickly establishes himself as Big Jim Rennie's right-hand enforcer, executing arson and intimidation campaigns without hesitation.

Key Relationships

Romantic partner of Georgia Roux

Subordinate to Big Jim Rennie

Georgia is Carter Thibodeaux's girlfriend and one of the few female recruits in the expanded police department. She actively participates in the harassment and assault of local residents, fully embracing the lawless authority granted by her badge.

Key Relationships

Romantic partner of Carter Thibodeaux

Ernie is a retired grocer and a fixture of the older generation in Chester's Mill. He provides logistical support to the faction opposing Rennie, utilizing his knowledge of the town's vehicles to assist in their survival.

Key Relationships

Grandfather of Norrie Calvert

Known to most as Rommie, he is the enterprising owner of the local department store. He initially views the Dome as a business opportunity but quickly realizes the grave danger facing the town, ultimately supplying weapons and gear to those resisting Rennie's rule.

Key Relationships

Former romantic interest of Brenda Perkins

Thurston is a visiting professor from Boston who finds himself trapped in the isolation of the Dome. Despite being an outsider, he steps up to assist Rusty Everett at the overcrowded hospital, utilizing surprising medical competence.

Key Relationships

Romantic partner of Carolyn Sturges

Guardian of Alice Appleton

Guardian of Aiden Appleton

Carolyn is a graduate student from Boston trapped in Chester's Mill. Her romantic getaway with Thurston quickly devolves into a desperate struggle for survival as the town's civil protections vanish.

Key Relationships

Romantic partner of Thurston Marshall

Known locally as Sloppy Sam, he struggles with severe alcoholism. His dependency makes him an easy target for manipulation, and Big Jim Rennie uses him to incite unrest and riotous behavior among the frightened public.

Key Relationships

Pawn of Big Jim Rennie

Alice is a young girl practically orphaned by the sudden descent of the Dome. Frightened and starving, she is taken in by Thurston Marshall and Carolyn Sturges, who attempt to shield her from the escalating chaos.

Key Relationships

Sister of Aiden Appleton

Ward of Thurston Marshall

Aiden is a five-year-old boy separated from his parents by the Dome. He suffers from mysterious seizures that cause him to speak prophetically about falling pink stars, adding to the supernatural dread permeating the town.

Key Relationships

Brother of Alice Appleton

Ward of Thurston Marshall

Claudette is the wife of First Selectman Andy Sanders. She is enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon in a small aircraft when the invisible Dome suddenly descends, instantly causing a fatal crash against the impenetrable barrier.

Key Relationships

Wife of Andy Sanders

Mother of Dodee Sanders

Dodee is the teenage daughter of Andy Sanders. Distraught over her mother's sudden death in a plane crash, she inadvertently walks into a dangerous situation while looking for her friend Angie, becoming another tragic victim.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Andy Sanders

Daughter of Claudette Sanders

Friend of Angie McCain

Janelle is the young daughter of Rusty and Linda Everett. Shortly after the Dome descends, she experiences a severe neurological episode, screaming prophetic warnings about Halloween and a sinister Great Pumpkin.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Rusty Everett

Daughter of Linda Everett

Sister of Judy Everett

Judy is the older daughter of Rusty and Linda Everett. Like her sibling and several other children in the isolated town, she begins experiencing unsettling visions of pink stars falling, directly linked to the barrier's presence.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Rusty Everett

Daughter of Linda Everett

Sister of Janelle Everett

Claire is the mother of Joseph McClatchey. She represents the anxious parents of Chester's Mill who watch helplessly as their children are drawn into the dangerous mysteries surrounding the Dome.

Key Relationships

Mother of Joseph McClatchey

Rory is the impulsive young son of a local dairy farmer. In a desperate attempt to break the barrier, he fires a hunting rifle at the Dome, resulting in a tragic ricochet that leaves him severely injured.

Key Relationships

Brother of Ollie Dinsmore

Ollie is a young boy from a local farming family. He watches his family fall apart in the aftermath of the Dome's arrival, forced to survive the increasingly hostile town completely on his own.

Key Relationships

Brother of Rory Dinsmore