Carpentaria Character Analysis

Normal Phantom

Norm Phantom is Angel Day’s first husband and Inso, Donny, Will, Kevin, Patsy, Janice, and Girlie’s father. He is an Aboriginal Australian, a fisherman, the unofficial leader… read analysis of Normal Phantom

Will Phantom

Will Phantom is Normal Phantom and Angel Day’s second-youngest son and Inso, Donny, Kevin, Janice, Patsy, and Girlie’s brother. As a child, he is his father’s favorite, and… read analysis of Will Phantom

Elias Smith

Elias Smith is a White sailor with amnesia who washes up in Desperance in the wake of a cyclone. Metaphorically, he represents the town’s White residents, who choose not to remember that they are not… read analysis of Elias Smith

Mozzie Fishman

Mozzie Fishman is an Aboriginal Australian holy man and visionary from the Pricklebush. He and a convoy of followers travel around Australia, visiting sacred sites and keeping the old spiritual knowledge alive. Mozzie and Norm… read analysis of Mozzie Fishman

Hope

Hope is Joseph Midnight’s daughter, Will Phantom’s wife, and Bala’s mother. Although her love of the color blue and Will’s vision of her walking over the waves strongly associate her with sea… read analysis of Hope

Angel Day

Angel Day is Normal Phantom’s wife and Inso, Donny, Will, Kevin, Janice, Patsy, and Girlie’s mother. She eventually leaves Norm for Mozzie Fishman, with whom she… read analysis of Angel Day

Truthful E’Strange

Truthful E’Strange is the constable of Desperance. Like the other residents of Uptown, he is White, but he has a marginal status because he isn’t a descendant of the original settlers. Instead, Truthful chose to… read analysis of Truthful E’Strange

Joseph Midnight

Joseph Midnight is the leader of the Eastside Pricklebush faction of Aboriginal Australian people (who call themselves the Wangabiyas, even though Westsiders maintain that this is a made-up tribal name). He is Hope’s father… read analysis of Joseph Midnight

Kevin Phantom

Kevin Phantom is Normal Phantom and Angel Day’s youngest child and Inso, Donny, Will, Janice, Patsy, and Girlie’s brother. Although the community interprets his birth as a sign… read analysis of Kevin Phantom

Stan Bruiser

Stan Bruiser is the mayor of Desperance and—although the voting may have been rigged—its most popular citizen for 10 years running. A former cattle hawker, Bruiser made a lot of money playing the stock market… read analysis of Stan Bruiser

Father Danny

Father Danny is the Roman Catholic priest who serves the district around Desperance. He strikes up a kind of friendship with Norm Phantom after Norm asks him to exorcise the Phantom house. Father Danny… read analysis of Father Danny

Captain Nicoli Finn

Captain Nicoli Finn is a White man who lives on the outskirts of Desperance society. He is an outcast in part because he comes from elsewhere (he can’t trace his ancestors to the initial 19th-century… read analysis of Captain Nicoli Finn

Girlie Phantom

Girlie Phantom is Norm and Angel Day’s youngest daughter and Inso, Donny, Will, Kevin, Janice, and Patsy’s sister. Her relationship with the father of her children, an Eastsider… read analysis of Girlie Phantom

Lloydie Smith

Lloydie Smith is a White resident of Desperance and Aaron Ho Kum’s father. Smith never formally admits his paternity of Aaron, because this would mean admitting to his relationship with an Aboriginal woman—something frowned… read analysis of Lloydie Smith

Libby Valance

Libby Valance is the Desperance town clerk. Valance is a calm, sensible, quiet man whom the White residents of Uptown trust to remain level-headed. He is in charge of ringing the town bell to call… read analysis of Libby Valance

Tristrum Fishman

Tristrum is Angel Day and Mozzie Fishman’s younger son, Luke’s brother, and Aaron Ho Kum’s friend. Neglected by his mother and left behind when his father goes on his eternal pilgrimage, Tristrum… read analysis of Tristrum Fishman

Luke Fishman

Luke Fishman is Angel Day and Mozzie Fishman’s older son, Tristrum’s brother, and Aaron Ho Kum’s friend. Abandoned by his holy man father and neglected by his mother, Luke gets into trouble… read analysis of Luke Fishman

Aaron Ho Kum

Aaron is the mixed-race child of an Aboriginal woman and Lloydie Smith, proprietor of the bar at the Fisherman’s Hotel. Neglected by a mother who goes into hiding after his birth and a father… read analysis of Aaron Ho Kum

Bala

Bala is Will Phantom and Hope’s son. As such, he represents hope that the Eastside and Westside communities might someday transcend their conflicts and work together in their common interests. When Norm Phantom washes… read analysis of Bala

Gordie

Gordie is the person assigned to the role of town watchman after Elias Smith goes into exile. Although the White citizens of Uptown barely pay attention to him while he’s alive, after he’s murdered (possibly… read analysis of Gordie

Inso Phantom

Inso Phantom is Norm and Angel Day’s oldest son and Donny, Will, Kevin, Janice, Patsy, and Girlie’s brother. In his youth, he is a competitive boxer who trains… read analysis of Inso Phantom

Patsy Phantom

Patsy Phantom is one of Norm’s and Angel Day’s daughters and Inso, Donny, Will, Kevin, Janice, and Girlie’s sister. Following her divorce from an abusive husband, she… read analysis of Patsy Phantom

Chuck

Chuck is one of the two mine employees who capture Will Phantom. He’s the one who communicates with the bosses. He roughs Will up and tries to bully and intimidate him—unsuccessfully. Chasing a fleeing… read analysis of Chuck

Sallyanne Smith

Sallyanne Smith is the Desperance town scribe and the archivist who stores its precious historical records in her shed—at least until they disappear in an act of arson that may or may not be related… read analysis of Sallyanne Smith

Minor Characters

Donny Phantom

Donny Phantom is Norm and Angel Day’s second-eldest son and Inso, Will, Kevin, Janice, Patsy, and Girlie’s brother. In his youth, he also boxes under Father Danny’s direction. Along with Inso, he takes a job at the Gurfurritt Mine when he’s done with school and moves out of Desperance.

Janice Phantom

Janice Phantom is Norm and Angel Day’s perpetually pregnant daughter and Inso, Donnie, Will, Kevin, Patsy, and Girlie’s sister. Following her divorce, she moves back into Norm’s house with her numerous children, where she helps to take care of Norm and Kevin.

Sea Woman

The sea woman is a spirit who toys with, torments, and nearly kills Norm Phantom during the storm that ultimately washes him up on Bala’s beach.

Carpentaria Characters