Fire Exit

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of addiction, illness, mental illness, and death.

Charles is the novel’s narrator and protagonist. He is not Indigenous but was raised by an Indigenous (Penobscot) stepfather. The two were so close that Fredrick saw Charles as his son and Charles viewed Fredrick as his father. Because of this, Charles feels a strong sense of himself as a Penobscot man: Fredrick taught him Penobscot history, culture, and traditions, and Charles has always done his best to embody Fredrick’s teachings. There is a disconnect, however, between how Charles sees himself and how others see him. To Charles, he is “Fredrick’s boy,” but to others, he is an outsider. He is ostracized by many on the reservation who do not consider him Penobscot, and his lack of a relationship with his daughter, Elizabeth, stems from his bloodline. Charles feels the sting of isolation as a result of his whiteness, and it became part of what fueled his alcohol use disorder, which he has sought treatment for. 

His recovery process displays his strength and resilience and the deep importance he places on family. He recalls, “When I started AA, I made it a point to reconnect with my mother” (12).