April Morning Character Analysis

The novel April Morning by Howard Fast is the story of a young 15-year-old, Adam Cooper. He recounts the battles of Lexington and Concord during the Revolutionary War through his eyes. In the course of a day, the people of Lexington’s life’s as they have known it are changed. The father of Adam, a man with high principles and a leader among the Lexington Committeemen, Moses Cooper; he is a character who is strict and loving father to his family and a leader to the community.

In the beginning of the story, Moses is the antagonist as him and his son Adam Cooper bump heads often. Moses’s interactions with his family show that he is a very strong willed man who wants things his way. Adam states, “His voice called after me like a whip around my ankle” (Fast 3). In this quote, Adam is hinting that he is afraid of his father’s wrath. Granny, who is a widow and lives with her son Moses and his family, has a close relationship with Adam, after one of Adams scolding’s from his father, he tells Granny, “He doesn’t lose patience, Granny. He doesn’t have any patience to begin with” (Fast 9). Moses is hot-tempered when it comes to Adam because he wants the best for his son, which is why he is so strict

Before the battle, Moses says to Adam, “I don’t know how to say what I have got to say to you. I’m certain that nothing will happen. But something could happen, and you might have a heavy burden. Then Father put his arm around my shoulder and held me to him for a moment. It was as close as he had ever come to a gesture of real affection” (Fast 82). Moses is a man that stands aloof from showing his feelings but in this scene his actions speak more to Adam than ever before. Adam knows his father loves him from these actions and for the responsibility, which Moses puts on Adam if something were to happen to him in