Douglas Spaulding Characters

Character Analysis: Douglas Spaulding Douglas Spaulding, often referred to as “Doug”, is in a way the main character of the novel Dandelion Wine. Throughout the book, he takes the readers on an adventure encountering the experiences and changes of growing up that he faces during the summer of 1928. Now, 25 years into the future, Douglas must use the knowledge that he obtained that summer to guide him on the journey of life. Being the main character, Doug is entitled to various protagonist based character traits. One quality that stands out is his inquiry. He is spontaneously curious towards contemporary matter of which he can’t comprehend. Not only is Doug inquisitive, but also he’s deliberate. He puts in serious thought and contemplation

The reason is he doesn’t follow in anyone’s examples. Doug will do what he feels will have the most beneficial impact in any given moment even if its unconventional. For example, towards the

Kevin 2 end of summer, he convinces Tom (his younger brother) that there is a live witch trapped within an arcade game. Doug devises a plan to steal part of the arcade game and attempt to free the imprisoned witch. This act portrays Doug’s leadership qualities as he follows his beliefs even though the may seem unorthodox. Doug does what he does because he is motivated. His motivation is primarily fueled through his fascination. Every one of Doug’s actions is driven by the compulsion and passion to further his understanding. By doing this, he often finds answers in the outcomes of his efforts. Douglas tends to rely on his emotions in order to make decisions. This is most likely due to the fact that his brother is more intellectual. This way, they balance each other out. In the novel, the majority of Doug’s actions are backed up by emotion. That includes the time when Doug got a fight with Tom. He fought back because it made him feel good and alive. Also included is Doug’s idea of making an activates list. He created the list because is was irritated with the fact that they did the same thing over and over