Jenks is Eldon’s and Jimmy’s foreman when they work as loggers in British Columbia. Partway through their employment, Jenks becomes intrigued by Eldon’s mother and starts dating her. After he starts living in Eldon’s house, he becomes a harsher boss. It soon becomes clear that he’s abusing Eldon’s mother, too. One night Eldon and Jimmy catch Jenks beating up Eldon’s mother and attack him. After Jimmy badly injures Jenks, Eldon’s mother tells the boys to run away. It’s unclear whether or not Jenks survives.
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Jenks Character Timeline in Medicine Walk
The timeline below shows where the character Jenks appears in Medicine Walk. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 11
...to them, and they never worried about the danger. They loved the thrill. Their foreman, Jenks, encouraged them in this, saying caution is deadlier than playfulness and daring. He taught them...
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Jimmy and Eldon worked together spinning timbers, an elegant dance. Jimmy told Jenks that his father was in rodeos; that’s how he had the guts for logrolling. Eldon...
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Jenks started having meals in the cookhouse where Eldon’s mother works. Eventually, he started eating in...
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...books read by firelight, but of “the sudden holes life can sometimes fall into.” Soon, Jenks spent most of his time in their shack, and before long, Jenks and Eldon’s mother...
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...said things she shouldn’t. He stops shaking and embraces her. That night, he stares at Jenks while his mother reads to them. Jenks doesn’t say anything to him, and it infuriates...
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...trees. Neither he nor Jimmy can stand listening to his mother read anymore, not with Jenks sitting there. Now Eldon watches the cabin and waits. Eventually, he hears a slap and...
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Eldon can hardly breathe, and his arms are trembling. He ducks a punch from Jenks and is then sent sprawling by a kick. Before he can recover his wits, he...
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...to provide for her now and heads for the door. Jimmy says that he hopes Jenks makes it, but if he does, he’ll have to watch his back. He’ll never know...
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Chapter 12
...anger cooled off, but then he was overcome by guilt for leaving his mother with Jenks. To cope with the shame, he drank.
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...His father stares at him for a while and finally says that, if he’d stayed, Jenks’s friends would’ve half killed him. The kid says that would have been better than being...
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