Character Analysis: The Kentucky Derby

Grace Stansfield

In the short stories, The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved and Of the Coming of John, the authors focus specifically on the lives of the two main characters, but also shift the focus onto the two supporting characters, Steadman and White John. These two supporting characters are in the story to show the opposites and differences between the main characters and themselves. Steadman arrives in Kentucky to help Thompson by illustrating for his article, and they go to the derby to find inspiration for their article and pictures. Thompson knows how hectic the derby can be considering he is from Kentucky, where as Steadman is from England and has never attended the Kentucky Derby before, let alone even been in Kentucky.

Thompson reveals that he is actually from Kentucky and has attended manny derbies previous to the one they are at now. This gives the reader a new insight on Thompson as a character because he claims he hates the south so much yet he is from there. Whereas Steadman was born and raised in England and not many southerners are used to seeing someone like him in their hometowns. This effects Steadman’s actions because he is not used to how the southerners act. Specifically, Steadman is staring at a young man trying to capture all the right features to draw him, but the man is agitated for the way Steadman is staring. Thompson calls Steadman out on the staring, and because of his experience he tells him that down in Kentucky you cannot just stare at people and draw them like monsters and expect them to be okay with it. Steadman replies with, “Why, in England it’s quite normal. People don’t take offense. They understand that I’m just putting them on a bit” (Steadman pg ) . Steadman does not understand standard etiquette in the south because he has never experienced it. Unlike Thompson who