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DANDELION WINE - FREE CHAPTER SUMMARIES / NOTES / ANALYSIS

 

LITERARY ELEMENTS

SETTING

The novel takes place in the summer of 1928 in Green Town, Illinois, a fictionalized version of Waukegan, Illinois.

CHARACTER LIST

Major Characters

Douglas Spaulding
A twelve-year-old boy who becomes aware of life and death over the course of the summer.

Tom Spaulding
Douglas' ten-year-old brother, still safely ensconced in the confident naiveté of childhood.

Grandfather Spaulding
Douglas and Tom's grandfather, who lives in the house next door, where they keep boarders.

Grandmother Spaulding
Douglas and Tom's grandmother, who is able to cook with great skill.

John Huff
Douglas' friend, who moves to Milwaukee mid-summer.

Bill Forrester
A young newspaperman and columnist who becomes involved in a near-romance with the considerably older Helen Loomis.

Leo Auffmann
The town jeweler and amateur inventor who seeks to create a Happiness Machine.

Lena Auffmann
The wife of Leo Auffmann who wishes to change his mind on the value of the Happiness Machine.

Helen Bentley
A widow in town who's collection of reminders and souvenirs kept her stuck in the past.

Colonel Freeleigh
The so-called Time Machine who tells Douglas and his friends stories from his one hundred years of experience.

Miss Fern
The co-owner of the Green Machine, sister of Miss Roberta and Frank.

Miss Roberta
The co-owner of the Green Machine, sister of Miss Fern and Frank.

Elmira Brown
The clumsy wife of mailman Sam Brown, she is running for president of the Honeysuckle Ladies Lodge.

Clara Goodwater
The president of the Honeysuckle Ladies Lodge who Elmira Brown believes is a practitioner of black magic.

Helen Loomis
A town elder who develops a relationship with Bill Forrester in her final months of life.

Lavinia Nebbs
A neighbor of Miss Fern and Miss Roberta who faces the Lonely One.

Lonely One
The serial killer terrorizing the women of Green Town.

Mr. Black
The drunken proprietor of the arcade

Ned Jonas
The town junk man and eventual savior of Douglas.

Aunt Rose
A well-meaning but ultimately dangerous visitor of Grandmother Spaulding's.

Minor Characters

Mom
Mother of Douglas and Tom.

Dad
Father of Douglas and Tom

Uncle Bert
Douglas and Tom's uncle.

Mr. Sanderson
The owner of the shoe store.

Saul Auffmann
Leo and Lena Auffmann's oldest son

Marshall Auffmann
One of Leo and Lena's children.

Joseph Auffmann
One of Leo and Lena's children.

Rebecca Auffmann
One of Leo and Lena's children.