Jimmy Barlow is a bully who threatens Charlie throughout the story. After Charlie beats him in the race to become Squizzy Taylor’s runner, Barlow holds a grudge and tries to physically attack Charlie any time the two cross paths. Near the end of the book, Charlie and Nostrils are in a garden together when Barlow and his friends appear and brutally assault Nostrils while Charlie gets away. When a police officer questions Charlie about the incident, he refuses to identify Barlow as the attacker.
Jimmy Barlow Quotes in Runner
The Runner quotes below are all either spoken by Jimmy Barlow or refer to Jimmy Barlow. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 16
Quotes
In a person’s life, there are some moments that define who you are––miniscule moments where you’re called upon to act, faster than a flip of a coin.
Heads or tails.
Yes or no.
Go or stay.
Perhaps my mind was already made up, but as I turned and saw them on top of him, Nostrils raised his head and screamed. “Run, Charlie! Run!”
Related Characters:
Charlie Feehan (speaker), Nostrils Heath (speaker), Jimmy Barlow
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 18
Quotes
Full of rage, I dropped by eyes to the ground and saw my shiny black boots. Right then, something clicked inside my head. Everything became clear. Silently I left the office and made my way to the laundry. After changing into my father’s old boots, I strode back down the hall. I […] placed the boots on the table, right under Squizzy’s nose.
Related Characters:
Charlie Feehan (speaker), Squizzy Taylor , Nostrils Heath, Jimmy Barlow, Mr. Feehan
Related Symbols:
Mr. Feehan’s Boots
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Runner LitChart as a printable PDF.
Jimmy Barlow Character Timeline in Runner
The timeline below shows where the character Jimmy Barlow appears in Runner. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...are no other rules. The men place bets on the boys. Before the race, Jimmy Barlow, the boy with the best odds of winning, approaches Charlie and warns him to stay...
(full context)
...blue sash forgets the address, and Charlie reminds him. The race begins, and immediately Jimmy Barlow knocks Charlie off balance.
(full context)
Charlie gets back up and runs, and he soon catches up to Barlow, who was the only boy smart enough to take Charlie’s route. They run side by...
(full context)
...boy’s parcel, inside which are two eggs. The two slower boys’ eggs are unbroken, but Barlow’s eggs have cracked. The man unwraps Charlie’s parcel and finds that the eggs are intact,...
(full context)
...that most people call him Nostrils because of his large nose. Nostrils warns Charlie that Barlow comes from a dangerous family of boxers in Fitzroy, and Charlie asks why Barlow came...
(full context)
Chapter 5
...Nostrils kicks the ball a far distance, and when Charlie chases it, he finds Jimmy Barlow and his friends. Barlow steals Charlie’s football. He shouts at his friends to grab Charlie,...
(full context)
Chapter 11
...his attention back to the players and sees that one of Nostrils’s opponents is Jimmy Barlow. Barlow punches Nostrils in the stomach, sending him off balance, and for the rest of...
(full context)
...and told Nostrils to think smart. Throughout the second half of the game, Nostrils outplays Barlow, and Richmond Hill beats the opposition with a huge lead. After the game, Charlie hovers...
(full context)
Chapter 13
...free” in the slums. Charlie is about to attempt a joke when he sees Jimmy Barlow through the shop window. Charlie ducks behind the counter and begs Alice to stay quiet.
(full context)
Barlow comes into the shop and buys two pies. He tries to flirt with Alice, but...
(full context)
Chapter 16
...much to their shared relief. But on their way home, the boys run into Jimmy Barlow and his friends. Barlow and the others charge at Charlie and Nostrils. The two boys...
(full context)
...help, but he can’t leave his best friend. He runs back to the garden, where Barlow is brutally beating Nostrils. Nostrils responds by mocking Barlow, who then orders his friends to...
(full context)
