A Warning to the Curious Character Analysis

Paxton

Paxton, the protagonist of “A Warning to the Curious,” is a young man visiting Seaburgh. He meets the narrator at The Bear hotel, where he discloses that he recently stole a famous holy crown that… read analysis of Paxton

The Narrator

The unnamed narrator meets Paxton in Seaburgh, where the narrator regularly goes to play golf with his friend, Henry Long. The narrator is puzzled by Paxton’s agitated manner at first, but he welcomes his… read analysis of The Narrator

The Writer

An unnamed writer records the story as he heard it from the narrator, such that “A Warning to the Curious” is a story within a story. The writer has fond childhood memories of visiting… read analysis of The Writer

The Old Man

The old man is the first person who tells Paxton about the holy crowns. Paxton meets him at a church in Froston, a town near Seaburgh. The old man tells Paxton that the crowns… read analysis of The Old Man

The Rector

Paxton meets the rector, the leader of the church, while speaking with the old man. The rector elaborates on the legend about the crowns and tells Paxton that there is no one guarding the… read analysis of The Rector

The Boots

The boots (whose job it is to clean the guests’ shoes) is one of the servants at The Bear hotel where Paxton, the narrator, and Henry Long stay. The three men have a… read analysis of The Boots

Minor Characters

Henry Long

Henry Long is the narrator’s good friend who is present throughout the story. He witnesses all the same events as the narrator, and he seems to share the narrator’s views on what unfolds. Henry Long has already died by the time the narrator tells the story to the writer.