OVERALL ANALYSIS

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Cedric Jennings

Cedric's growth as a character is the central focus of A Hope in the Unseen and is the source of many of the thematic developments in the book. Thus, most of the specific ways in which Cedric develops as a character is dealt with in the Themes section, as his inner life is meant to be a reflection of society in general. That said, the contrast between beginning and end is worth noting in its own right, to illustrate Suskind's masterful achievement in his portrait of an individual young man.

Cedric begins the story insecure about his identity, angry enough to need something to push against in order to succeed, and relying on others (most notably his mother and church) for guidance. By the end of the book he is secure in who he is, has made peace with aspects of himself that had previously bothered him, and has grown into a self-reliant individual on.........

Barbara Jennings

Barbara Jennings is the rock on which Cedric's ambition and drive is built. She protects her son as best she can, so that his future life can be a significant improvement from the........

Cedric Gilliam

Cedric Gilliam is introduced as a person taking poor advantage of his situation, selling drugs while on a prison work release program. He is clever and opportunistic, with a strong education that fails to keep him out of prison. In short, he is the worst case scenario for what Cedric Jennings can become, and what Barbara Jennings actively opposes with her...........

Zayd Dohrn

Zayd Dohrn has to deal with the conflicted feelings Cedric holds for him, alternately enjoying their close friendship and keeping Zayd at a distance, resulting in.............

Rob Burton

Rob Burton has the most vivid conflict with Cedric, as these dorm roommates have heated fights due to their different...........

Chiniqua Milligan

Chiniqua Milligan is the only other African American in Cedric's dorm unit. Having made it to Brown, she decides to explore that aspect of her identity in greater depth, spending time with other black people on-campus. Chiniqua embodies the dual path of the ambitious minority student: assimilated into mainstream Caucasian culture in order to............

The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; author biography, setting, mood, and plot stucture analysis; important quotes - quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, metaphors and imagery; a key facts summary; a multiple choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.