Everything Is Tuberculosis Character Analysis

John Green

John Green is the author of Everything is Tuberculosis. Though he began his writing career in the young adult genre, he has been a vocal advocate for global health causes since the 2010s. This advocacy… read analysis of John Green

Henry

Henry is a young boy from Sierra Leone. He became very sick as a child and, after many misdiagnoses, was finally diagnosed with tuberculosis. Though he was put on the standard drug regimen, his father… read analysis of Henry

Isatu

Isatu is Henry’s mother and supported him throughout his experience with tuberculosis. Isatu grew up in Sierra Leone and had a happy childhood thanks to the strength of her community. Her adulthood, however, was… read analysis of Isatu

Dr. Girum Tefera

Dr. Girum Tefera was one of Henry’s doctors at Lakka. He decided to go into medicine after watching his mother suffer from epilepsy. He studied medicine in Ethiopia and began to research tuberculosis after… read analysis of Dr. Girum Tefera

Henry’s Father

Henry’s father has a complicated relationship with his children. While the stigma surrounding tuberculosis doesn’t push him away from Henry, he is an inconsistent presence in his child’s life. During Henry’s first round of… read analysis of Henry’s Father

Robert Koch

Robert Koch was a German scientist who revolutionized germ theory. In 1876, he discovered that anthrax was caused by bacteria, and in 1882 he discovered the same was true for tuberculosis with his discovery of… read analysis of Robert Koch

Favor

Favor was Henry’s younger sister. The two were incredibly close, even when Henry became sick. Without warning, Favor developed a cyst in her throat; surgical intervention was her only chance of survival, as the… read analysis of Favor

Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle was an English physician (who would later write the famous Sherlock Holmes novels). After learning of Robert Koch’s supposed cure for tuberculosis, he became obsessed with meeting the scientist and learning more… read analysis of Arthur Conan Doyle

Alan Hart

Dr. Alan Hart was a doctor known for his groundbreaking use of x-rays to diagnose tuberculosis. He was a trans man at a time when such gender identities were especially stigmatized, making his scientific success… read analysis of Alan Hart

Minor Characters

Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur was a French scientist and inventor who, in the 1880s, developed vaccines for anthrax. His discovery put pressure on Koch to make similar innovations. Koch’s vaccine, unlike Pasteur’s, was ineffective.

James Watt

James Watt was a Scottish scientist who, at the turn of the 19th century, attempted to find a chemical cure for tuberculosis (which was then called phthisis). He was deeply passionate about the cause because it killed his daughter and infected his son. He was, unfortunately, unsuccessful.

Stokes Goodrich

Stokes Goodrich was John Green’s great-uncle who became infected with TB in the early 20th century. His father, who was a physician, attempted to treat him but ultimately failed. Goodrich died of TB at the age of 29.

Sarah

Sarah is John Green’s wife and is also an advocate for global health causes. She was with him at Lakka Government Hospital when he met Henry and supported him through his overwhelming fascination with tuberculosis.

Everything Is Tuberculosis Characters