The characters in the novel "Slam":
Sam Jones
Short description:
15 year old, unwanted baby (p. 20), thinks he’s stupid (p.115, 147)… but cool (p.25), school is important to him (p.15) & he has got a “goal” (p. 21) for his future, first he’s not interested in a girlfriend (p. 22), lives in a new-house flat in London with his mother (p. 20), skating is the most important thing in his life (joined a few competitions (p. 93)), no family guy (p. 21), doesn’t care what people are saying about him (p. 34, 9), would never join the army - hates to be tortured (p. 57), never gets into fights (p. 285), rational & decent (p. 45), lonely (has no one to speak with), really good boy (p. 55), likes drawing, hates time (p.317)
Relationship to…:
…Alicia:
(meeting p. 23), first thought she’s the biggest jerk in Britain (p. 21) and thought about out sulking her, made fun of her, then: flipped over when she started laughing (p. 22), but in course of the novel there are ups and downs, splitting ups and he gets scared of her (p. 325)
…Tony Hawk:
represents the only contact for Sam and portrays Sam’s idol, but then: Sam gets scared of the future jumps aroused by TH and in the end there’s no clarification of their relationship.
How the situation bears on Sam:
Because of the unexpected pregnancy of Alicia, Sam becomes more mature in course of the whole story. (see page 161) First he’s a normal teenager with normal teenage problems. The only hold for him is skating. But than he discovers that in life there are more important things and that everyone has to accept responsibility for his interactions and that there’s no running away.
16 years old when she and Sam meet each other but seems older than him, doesn’t go to the same school as Sam, has grey eyes, straw-colored hair which looks messy and cool at the same time, tall (but not taller than Sam), not skinny and flat-chested, has “a skin like a peach” (all p.22), lives in an old house (untidy and dusty) with lots of books (p.20), “cruel but clever” (keeps Sam on tenterhooks) (p.26), hates the parties of her parents, rebel (p.42), doesn’t want to go to college (p.42) in contrast to Sam, wants to become a model (p. 43), bad at changing dirty nappies (p. 282)
Relationship to…:
…Sam:
she sets him unintended under pressure in coherence with the first time sex, was left in the lurch with the pregnancy by Sam, she wants the partner hood to work but in the end she understands that it hasn’t been the right time for Sam and her (p. 205).
…her parents:
no good relationship, her parents want her to be something she doesn’t want to be.
How the situation bears on Alicia:
At first she was afraid of all (pregnancy, birth and briefing her parents) and she looked at once older and paler (p.176). But in course of her pregnancy she got really interested in everything having something to do with babies and being a parent (p.199). Her GCSF results were terrible (p. 250) and moreover she was really scarred the time before the birth (p.258). When the baby was there, she looked tired (p. 283), peaky (p. 116), her face was puffy and she gained weight (p. 101). But after the situation settling down, in the end she looked great and healthy, had a new boyfriend and did a part-time fashion course at university.
looks young (32 years old but guessed by 23/24), was 16 when Sam was born, against being pregnant that early (p. 19), regrets it (maybe in general having a child with Dave) (p.28), has a book group (p. 20), works in Leisure and Culture and on council (knows Alicia’s mom (councilor) from there), earns not that much money (p. 126), no good connection between her and Sam (they are living alongside each other) (p. 61), gets scared of Alicia (p. 65), 2nd time pregnant with Emily (p. 227), gets a friendship with Sam (p. 248)
“bad-tempered bastard” (p. 169), against women (p. 96), gave up smoking (p. 276), no family guy, egoist, went away to Barnet (p. 96), lives there with Carol (p. 170), no “racist” but “patriot” (p.167), hates going abroad (p. 167), favorite expression:
Also about 50 years old, listens to hip-hop (feels still young and frank), wears a stud, teaches literature at college (p. 73), much more relaxed than his wife Andrea
Alicia’s brother, plays the violin, no nerd, wears glasses (quite cool glasses), likes a laugh, likes Sam, has not that much to do with the family, studies at college
Annie’s boyfriend the time between Dave and Mark, “useless”, not liked by Sam, he and Annie split up with each other
Dave’s new girlfriend in Barnet, infertile (p. 153), is on good terms with Annie
Annie’s new boyfriend, works in Health and Social Care (p. 62), has a strange way of humor (p. 81), is the opposite of Dave (except their appearance): more intellectual, likes Europe (p. 244)
son of Mark, 8 years old, lives with his mom (p. 81)
friend of Sam, good skater, pot-head (p. 108), pretty stupid (his name is another word for “to babble”…), explains Sam that when the baby was born Sam “disappeared” and states this way that Sam’s life has ended, helpful and vulnerable (p. 155)
isn’t a good skater, called “the brain” - pretty smart
quite posh and older than Sam (p. 119), knows Sam from the NCT class, has also a pregnant girlfriend (nervous and neurotic), at first: all exited and happy - after birth of his son Joshua: his girlfriend gets the postpartum depression (cries all the time and won’t let Giles touch her, declines her baby) (p. 120)
visits the same school as Sam, horrible, violent, ugly, impolite, the person Sam hates the most but he envies him for that he doesn’t cares about everything so that life is much easier (p. 55)
visits also the same school as Sam, is a show-off (boasts with bought condoms) (p. 45)
girl that Sam dated after splitting up with Alicia, went out with older boys and also looked much older than Sam, spends lots of her money on clothes, never seen without make-up, wants a baby for the reason that she likes babies, doesn’t want go studying at college and doesn’t want to be fifty when her child is sixteen (otherwise the relation between her and her child is more like a friendship than like a strict parent-child relationship) (p. 84/85)
Alicia’s ex-boyfriend, wanted her to have sex with him, because she didn’t want to they split up, later he wants to make Sam uncertain about his fatherhood (see fight p. 287)
Alicia’s latest boyfriend, also skater, about Alicia’s age, seems “okay” in Sam’s eyes, has long, dark, side-parted hair and a goatee (p. 339) - looks he might plays in a band
Sam‘s latest girlfriend, met her on his course at college, pretty, friendly, funny and „gorgeous“ (p. 341/342)
15 year old, unwanted baby (p. 20), thinks he’s stupid (p.115, 147)… but cool (p.25), school is important to him (p.15) & he has got a “goal” (p. 21) for his future, first he’s not interested in a girlfriend (p. 22), lives in a new-house flat in London with his mother (p. 20), skating is the most important thing in his life (joined a few competitions (p. 93)), no family guy (p. 21), doesn’t care what people are saying about him (p. 34, 9), would never join the army - hates to be tortured (p. 57), never gets into fights (p. 285), rational & decent (p. 45), lonely (has no one to speak with), really good boy (p. 55), likes drawing, hates time (p.317)
Relationship to…:
…Alicia:
(meeting p. 23), first thought she’s the biggest jerk in Britain (p. 21) and thought about out sulking her, made fun of her, then: flipped over when she started laughing (p. 22), but in course of the novel there are ups and downs, splitting ups and he gets scared of her (p. 325)
…Tony Hawk:
represents the only contact for Sam and portrays Sam’s idol, but then: Sam gets scared of the future jumps aroused by TH and in the end there’s no clarification of their relationship.
How the situation bears on Sam:
Because of the unexpected pregnancy of Alicia, Sam becomes more mature in course of the whole story. (see page 161) First he’s a normal teenager with normal teenage problems. The only hold for him is skating. But than he discovers that in life there are more important things and that everyone has to accept responsibility for his interactions and that there’s no running away.
Alicia Burns
Short description:16 years old when she and Sam meet each other but seems older than him, doesn’t go to the same school as Sam, has grey eyes, straw-colored hair which looks messy and cool at the same time, tall (but not taller than Sam), not skinny and flat-chested, has “a skin like a peach” (all p.22), lives in an old house (untidy and dusty) with lots of books (p.20), “cruel but clever” (keeps Sam on tenterhooks) (p.26), hates the parties of her parents, rebel (p.42), doesn’t want to go to college (p.42) in contrast to Sam, wants to become a model (p. 43), bad at changing dirty nappies (p. 282)
Relationship to…:
…Sam:
she sets him unintended under pressure in coherence with the first time sex, was left in the lurch with the pregnancy by Sam, she wants the partner hood to work but in the end she understands that it hasn’t been the right time for Sam and her (p. 205).
…her parents:
no good relationship, her parents want her to be something she doesn’t want to be.
How the situation bears on Alicia:
At first she was afraid of all (pregnancy, birth and briefing her parents) and she looked at once older and paler (p.176). But in course of her pregnancy she got really interested in everything having something to do with babies and being a parent (p.199). Her GCSF results were terrible (p. 250) and moreover she was really scarred the time before the birth (p.258). When the baby was there, she looked tired (p. 283), peaky (p. 116), her face was puffy and she gained weight (p. 101). But after the situation settling down, in the end she looked great and healthy, had a new boyfriend and did a part-time fashion course at university.
Annie Jones
Short description:looks young (32 years old but guessed by 23/24), was 16 when Sam was born, against being pregnant that early (p. 19), regrets it (maybe in general having a child with Dave) (p.28), has a book group (p. 20), works in Leisure and Culture and on council (knows Alicia’s mom (councilor) from there), earns not that much money (p. 126), no good connection between her and Sam (they are living alongside each other) (p. 61), gets scared of Alicia (p. 65), 2nd time pregnant with Emily (p. 227), gets a friendship with Sam (p. 248)
Dave Jones
Short description:“bad-tempered bastard” (p. 169), against women (p. 96), gave up smoking (p. 276), no family guy, egoist, went away to Barnet (p. 96), lives there with Carol (p. 170), no “racist” but “patriot” (p.167), hates going abroad (p. 167), favorite expression:
“If you are in a hole, stop digging.” (p. 247)Always thinks the worst of everyone (p. 169), you can’t talk to him (p. 169), sees through Sam (p. 168) what infers from Sam having a few equal characteristics with his father.
Rufus (Roof) Jones
born on September the twelfth, blond, curly hair, named after Rufus Wainwright (a song of him played while Roofs birth)
Alicia’s family
At first “dead cool” and really friendly (p. 73) but just thinking Sam is stupid. Reality: Snobs (p. 78) with heavy marked class consciousness. They want her daughter to go to college. When they notice that Sam made their daughter, “the genius” (p. 74), pregnant, they blame Sam for Alicia’s life getting downhill. All in all Sam is part of the family (p. 74).Andrea Burns
Short description:
50 year old councilor, teaches drama at college (p. 73), pretends to have perfect family life but for real she’s frustrated with her marriage and everything else (p. 330), maybe she’s even jealous of Annie Jones life, wants to be loyal to Sam (“Not everybody is academic.” (p. 74))Robert Burns
Short description:Also about 50 years old, listens to hip-hop (feels still young and frank), wears a stud, teaches literature at college (p. 73), much more relaxed than his wife Andrea
Rich Burns
Short description:Alicia’s brother, plays the violin, no nerd, wears glasses (quite cool glasses), likes a laugh, likes Sam, has not that much to do with the family, studies at college
The friends of Sam’s mom
In general quite rich and posh (p. 20) like Alicia’s parents (p. 42).Paula
Just mentioned once on page 9.Steve
Short description:Annie’s boyfriend the time between Dave and Mark, “useless”, not liked by Sam, he and Annie split up with each other
Carol
Short description:Dave’s new girlfriend in Barnet, infertile (p. 153), is on good terms with Annie
Mark
Short description:Annie’s new boyfriend, works in Health and Social Care (p. 62), has a strange way of humor (p. 81), is the opposite of Dave (except their appearance): more intellectual, likes Europe (p. 244)
Tom
Short description:son of Mark, 8 years old, lives with his mom (p. 81)
Rabbit
Short description:friend of Sam, good skater, pot-head (p. 108), pretty stupid (his name is another word for “to babble”…), explains Sam that when the baby was born Sam “disappeared” and states this way that Sam’s life has ended, helpful and vulnerable (p. 155)
Rubbish
Short description:isn’t a good skater, called “the brain” - pretty smart
Giles
Short description:quite posh and older than Sam (p. 119), knows Sam from the NCT class, has also a pregnant girlfriend (nervous and neurotic), at first: all exited and happy - after birth of his son Joshua: his girlfriend gets the postpartum depression (cries all the time and won’t let Giles touch her, declines her baby) (p. 120)
Terry
NCT class leader (p. 203)Ryan Briggs
Short description:visits the same school as Sam, horrible, violent, ugly, impolite, the person Sam hates the most but he envies him for that he doesn’t cares about everything so that life is much easier (p. 55)
Robbie Brandy
Short description:visits also the same school as Sam, is a show-off (boasts with bought condoms) (p. 45)
Niki Niedzwiki
Short description:girl that Sam dated after splitting up with Alicia, went out with older boys and also looked much older than Sam, spends lots of her money on clothes, never seen without make-up, wants a baby for the reason that she likes babies, doesn’t want go studying at college and doesn’t want to be fifty when her child is sixteen (otherwise the relation between her and her child is more like a friendship than like a strict parent-child relationship) (p. 84/85)
Jason Gerson
Short description:Alicia’s ex-boyfriend, wanted her to have sex with him, because she didn’t want to they split up, later he wants to make Sam uncertain about his fatherhood (see fight p. 287)
Carl
Short description:Alicia’s latest boyfriend, also skater, about Alicia’s age, seems “okay” in Sam’s eyes, has long, dark, side-parted hair and a goatee (p. 339) - looks he might plays in a band
Alex
Short description:Sam‘s latest girlfriend, met her on his course at college, pretty, friendly, funny and „gorgeous“ (p. 341/342)
The places in the novel "Slam":
Barnet - The place where Sam's dad has moved when he and Sam's mom split up (p. 96)
On this map extract you can also see where other places mentioned in the novel (Hackney, Highsbury New Park, etc.) are situated:
Größere Kartenansicht
Clissold Park - (p. 95) Park where Sam's dad went in after Sam's birth.
Hastings - (p.125) Place where Sam escaped to.
Finsbury Park - (p.325) Park where Sam has been played as he was a child and where he took Roof to.
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