Skellig Character Analysis

Michael

Michael is the 10-year-old protagonist of Skellig. When the story opens, everything is going wrong in his life: his family has moved to a dilapidated old house, his baby sister has a life-threatening heart condition… read analysis of Michael

Skellig (“The Creature”)

Skellig is the strange, sickly creature that Michael discovers in the garage of his family’s new house. At first, Skellig is aloof with Michael, responding sarcastically whenever Michael asks him how he ended up in… read analysis of Skellig (“The Creature”)

Mina

Mina is a girl Michael’s age who lives in the house next door to Michael. She has intense black eyes that Michael feels can see straight into him. Mina’s mother, Mrs. McKee, homeschools… read analysis of Mina

Mum

Mum is Michael and the baby’s mother and Dad’s wife. She’s often away at the hospital with the baby, who has a life-threatening heart condition. Her concern for the baby takes up most… read analysis of Mum

Dad

Dad is Michael and the baby’s father and Mum’s husband. While Mum is frequently at the hospital with the baby, Dad is home making repairs to the dilapidated house that the family has… read analysis of Dad

The Baby

The baby—who does not receive a name until the end of Skellig—is Michael’s younger sister. When the story begins, the baby has recently been diagnosed with a heart condition and has to spend… read analysis of The Baby

Doctor Death

Doctor Death is the doctor who comes to the house to examine the baby. The doctor has a real name, but Michael calls him Doctor Death because he is pale and smokes cigarettes. Furthermore… read analysis of Doctor Death

Leaky

Leaky is one of Michael’s best friends from school. He often appears alongside Coot. Leaky and Coot like to play football and roughhouse, and they don’t know how to address all the difficulties… read analysis of Leaky

Ernie Myers

Ernie Myers is the old man who lived and died in the house Michael’s family moves into at the beginning of the story, and his lingering presence in the house haunts Michael. Skellig picked… read analysis of Ernie Myers

Minor Characters

Mrs. McKee

Mrs. McKee is Mina’s mother. She watches Michael when Mum and Dad are at the hospital with the baby. Taking inspiration from William Blake’s notion that school limits the natural curiosity of children, Mrs. McKee homeschools Mina, and she also instructs Michael in painting, singing, sculpting, mythology, and much more.

Coot

Coot is one of Michael’s best friends from school. He often appears alongside Leaky.

Doctor MacNabola

Doctor MacNabola is a doctor at the hospital where the baby is a patient. Michael seeks Doctor MacNabola to ask what he would prescribe for a person with arthritis. Although pompous, Doctor MacNabola gives Michael good advice and later remembers Michael’s story.

Mrs. Dando

Mrs. Dando is one of Michael’s school teachers. She shows particular sympathy for Michael and often inquires after the baby.

Rasputin

Rasputin is Michael’s science teacher. He teaches Michael and his class about evolution and the anatomy of the human body.

Mr. Batley

Mr. Batley is a builder who comes with his sons to knock down Michael’s family’s dilapidated garage.

Skellig Characters