A Character Analysis Of Cal's Character From 'Dark Woods'

Cal:
Thirteen year old Cal is the main character in the suspense filled novel ‘Dark Woods’ by Steve Voake. Acting as the protagonist of the novel, Cal was found outside an abandon Pizza Hut store in a blue holdall with the zip three quarters done up. He was discovered by an old man who took him to the Camden Police Station. Ever since then he has been alternating between different foster families. Cal has many intriguing qualities that he displays throughout the novel: he is a very persistent person, he’s very brave and he is extremely cautious.
Cal is a very persistent character. Throughout the novel Cal shows very distinct signs of persistence. One way that Cal shows his persistence is when Cal had just discovered his worst nightmare had come to life and he and his close friend Eden were running deep into the woods. Eden wanted to go back for a dog that they had left behind at the time but Cal wanted to keep going. This quote gives evidence toward the fact that Cal is a persistent and determined
character: “There is no way we’re going back there now Eden. The dog will be fine. That guy is crazy, OK? He wants to kill us. We have to get out of here.” This statement shows that Cal was extremely insistent that he and Eden had to go and that he wasn’t taking no for an answer therefore contributing to the fact that he is persistent. This paragraph sums up the fact that Cal is an extremely determined and persistent boy that doesn’t take no for an answer. This relates to a strong theme in the book: follow what you believe in, because Cal was adamant that they had to keep on moving and he believed in the idea that they had to keep moving onwards.
Another character trait that Cal acquires is bravery. In different sections of the novel Cal displays clear signs of bravery. One area that Cal displays bravery in the novel is when he had to come face to face with his worst nightmare that had been brought to life, known as ‘The Man with The Scissors’. The man’s intentions were to chop of Cal’s hands. Cal was told to hold out his hands for the man and when the man was about to chop his hands of Cal broke out into a fist fight displaying his courage and bravery. This quote shows that he is brave: “Cal closed his eyes and held out his hands because he didn’t want to see how things would end.” This statement clearly shows how scared Cal was however he was very brave to try and retaliate against the man. This paragraph sums up the fact that Cal is extremely brave young boy. I think this relates to a strong theme in the book: bravery, as he shows clear distinct signs of bravery throughout the novel especially the parts that he had to come face to face with his nightmares.
The last interesting quality that Cal possesses is that he is a cautious person.
In the novel Cal shows distinct signs in different areas that he is a naturally cautious person. One place that he displays this character trait is towards the beginning of the novel when Eden wanted to go and help Jefferson find his supposedly missing dog Tansy however Cal wasn’t so keen about following a total stranger deep into the woods. This quote backs up the statement that Cal is cautious: “There was something about the man that made him uneasy, something about the way he kept running his fingers through his hair like he was nervous about something.” This quote shows that Cal was hesitant about going off with a man he didn’t know therefore making him cautious. This related well with a theme of the novel: Don’t judge something by its appearance. This theme is relevant because Jefferson seemed completely harmless at a first glance, but he was really a devious cunning man on the
inside.
To conclude, Cal is a very interesting character with many interesting character traits. He is very determined, brave and is an extremely cautious person. Throughout the novel Cal has to face his biggest nightmare and make big decisions that no thirteen year old should ever have to make. These things matured him mentally as a person. His character qualities had strong relation to three themes in the book: don’t judge something by its appearance, bravery and follow what you believe in. Overall I think that Cal has been through some very tough experiences that have mentally matured him and bettered him as a person.