Reuben Cole of HELL’S GATE. This was published in hardback by Robert Hale of London. The novel is set in British East Africa in 1898. Reuben Cole is a widowed farmer with a twelve year old son, David. He is in his mid-thirties and farms in the Rift Valley. He is independent, tough and in search of a mother for his son, but fate (and history) get in the way. Reuben Cole is resourceful, pragmatic and tough, and all these attributes are called on when he sets out in search of the slave traders who have kidnapped David.
The reason I like Reuben Cole is probably because I was able to write my alter ego into his character; the kind of man I would like to have been in another life. Through him I can suffer the pain that life throws at him without actually having to experience it.
What kind(s) of character do you consider this character primarily to be, or how would you describe this character?
See above.
What is a character from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this character to and why are they similar?
Sean Courtney from the Courtney novels by Wilbur Smith. They are similar because they have to battle with the elements, the animals, the natives and the politics of Africa.
To what extent did you use any pre-existing character formula, template, paradigm, character design, archetype, or theory or principles of making or analysing character in planning, writing, and refining this character?
I used my imagination but modelled him on the young, Prince Charles (at the time) so I could keep a picture of him in my mind’s eye.
How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?
I introduce the Gibbs Farqhuarson hunting rifle, the most powerful hunting rifle in Africa that could kill a charging buffalo at three hundred yards, and place it in the hands of a twelve year old boy. It is a metaphor that encapsulates the growing pains of a developing Africa.
Pick one of your published stories. How would you describe the introduction of the main character, or one of the main characters, in this story?
The introduction of Reuben Cole is by way of putting him into a situation that demands his attention knowing that not to react could cost him his farm, his future and possibly his life.
What makes this an effective character introduction for this story?
Hopefully the reader will realise that this character will be faced with similar problems throughout the story, and the reader will trust that he will handle them in an absorbing and successful way.
What major changes does this character go through, or what major challenges does the character encounter and how does the character respond to them?
Reuben Cole’s son is kidnapped by slavers and taken into the interior, Uganda. He believes his son is being taken to the slave markets in Mombassa, in the opposite direction. As he travels towards the slave markets on the east coast, an incident along the way forces Reuben to turn back, much against his will. His determination to find his son and the desperate need of a wounded clergyman trapped in the bush with his daughter compete for his attention. He knows that whatever decision he makes, it could result in either the loss of his son, or the death of the clergyman and his daughter.
How would you describe the most important minor characters in this story and the changes in their character, or the challenges they encounter and how they respond to them?
The minor characters in the story are victims of outside, political influences, and find the need to change their lifestyles are forced upon them. They are prosaic and philosophical about the changes but are determined to see them through.
What does the story gain from the minor characters?
Colonnades would fall without the columns. The minor characters are essential to the story.
To what extent would you describe the characters in this story as typical or atypical of characters in your fiction stories?
They are typical of people who do not know how they would react when faced with life threatening situations.
Author website: www.michaeljparker.com
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