Zane and the Hurricane

Skinny, smart, and sassy, Malvina is a firecracker. Or, as Zane puts it, a sparkler: fun to be around even if you may get burned a little bit. Malvina is opinionated and often critical, even towards her good friend Tru, who calls her “a little wasp that keep on stingin’” (53). With her “sparkling eyes” and big grin, Malvina has a charismatic personality that belies her small stature. Her habit of gesturing when she speaks adds to her dramatic presence. She is well on her way to achieving her goal of being a stand-up comic.

Like Zane, who skillfully uses figurative language in his descriptions, Malvina also has a way with words. She enjoys dropping puns, cracking corny jokes, and thinking about speech. She helps save Tru’s life by extrapolating on the definition of a wheelchair. Tru agrees that Malvina “got the words, no doubt” (75). Malvina’s identity is partially rooted in her New Orleans dialect; her words and expression give her a sense of community.

Under all her jokes, Malvina hides a soft side. She cries at the sight of the dead bodies, and is deeply attached to Tru, and later Zane and Bandit, friends whom she calls her “blood.” This “skinny Black girl with big dark eyes and wild hair’ (52) fiercely values loyalty and friendship. Although Malvina happily corrects Tru, she is proud and protective of him. She impulsively attacks the armed security guard who pushes Tru down and refuses to let the cops on the bridge stop her from getting Tru medical help. Her actions reveal her brave heart and passionate—and sometimes rash—nature.

Malvina also shows emotional vulnerability around the subject of her absent, drug-addict mother. Malvina is both defensive towards and conflicted about her mom. Malvina dislikes hearing Tru optimistically predict her mom will overcome her addiction. Malvina’s mom has failed her in the past, which explains Malvina’s devotion to Tru: He has not failed her. The hurricane and its aftermath are a rite of passage for Malvina, another trial that reaffirms her belief in the importance of laughter. Safe and secure with Belinda, Malvina’s attitude toward her mother, and her future, changes to one of hope. 

Mr. Tru, as Zane addresses him, lives up to his name. He is truehearted: kind, faithful, loyal, and honest. Belinda sums up her cousin’s personality when she calls Tru a “kind and lovely man” (165). Tru is an older, light-skinned Black man, with dreadlocks, a deep voice, and strong hands. By profession, Tru is a jazz and blues horn player who works with many famous bands. His unusual straw top hat with its pink feather expresses Tru’s unique personality and his confidence. Tru is unflappable and positive in the face of all the dangers the friends face, from literal swarms of snakes to the snake-like Dylan Toomey. Tru is genuinely fond of Malvina and acts as a father-figure for her. He lets her snippiness roll off him and admires her talent with words. Tru treats Malvina, Zane, and Bandy, with his characteristic gentleness and patience, but acts quickly and forcefully when danger threatens, warning Malvina not to run after the helicopter and physically keeping Zane from chasing Bandy back to the mansion.

Tru goes above and beyond in his promise to take care of Malvina, putting her safety and Zane’s before his own, even instructing them to leave him behind when his health deteriorates. When he chastises himself for failing Malvina and Zane, readers learn that Tru had no money and therefore no working car to escape the hurricane because he gave his funds to help Malvina’s mom. Tru embodies charity and honesty, and his character stands in marked contrast to the selfishness and dishonesty of others. Tru also values family connections, and he tries to impress on both Malvina and Zane the importance of family.

Tru distrusts established authority structures: He rightfully questions why no help has come to the poorer, harder-hit neighborhoods of New Orleans, and he is reluctant to seek help at the Superdome because of past government failure. Tru recognizes signs of systemic racism in the hurricane response.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” Miss Trissy adds a melodic hum to many of her comments. Her humming and singing are things Zane comes to love about his elderly great grandmother. Miss Trissy, full name Miss Beatrice Jackson, is a legend in her Lower Ninth Ward community. Even Tru has heard of her unparalleled singing voice and the pride she takes in the neighborhood. Attending church is important to Miss Trissy; she finds strength and hope in her religious faith.

Miss Trissy is “’zactly older than dirt” (10), and at first Zane is frightened by her age and the way she wields her two walking sticks. However, Zane learns that his Grammy is loving and welcoming. Her home is tidy, old-fashioned, and filled with family memorabilia.

Family is vital to Miss Trissy, and she is overjoyed to find she has a great grandson. She treats Zane as if he were something “precious” making Zane glad he gets to know her. Miss Trissy raised Zane’s father, Gerald, and has many stories about him and his brother James. While she tells Zane some of those stories, piquing Zane’s interest in his father’s life, Miss Trissy will not say what happened to the two brothers. Miss Trissy’s joy in meeting Zane and the memories she shares help Zane recognize how his life is connected to others’ lives, past and present.

Zane knows that Bandy, or Bandit the Wonder Dog, is “the best and bravest dog that ever lived” (154). The small black and white mutt, with his tiny tail and “silly little bark” (29) is Zane’s best friend. Adopted on Zane’s birthday, Bandy and Zane bonded immediately, and the two share an almost telepathic connection.

Bandy is loving and protective towards Zane. The little dog leads Zane back to Miss Trissy’s house to keep him safe and defends Zane and his friends on the bridge when he thinks they are being threatened. Zane attributes many human qualities to Bandy, like gratitude, joy, disgust, and happiness. Zane asserts that “People will say you can’t know what a dog is thinking, but that’s pure baloney” (162). Bandy is also highly intelligent and empathetic. The little dog knows when Malvina needs comforting and retrieves Tru’s treasured hat as if he senses the hat’s importance. Bandy’s smarts and personality win over Miss Trissy, Tru, and Malvina. When Bandy is shot, Zane is touched that Malvina says that Bandy as one of her cherished friends. Bandy epitomizes the bonds of love and friendship.

Aside from the storm and its aftermath, Dylan Toomey, may be the novel’s main antagonist. Zane describes him as one “fearsome-looking dude” (88). Toomey is the local drug lord, employing teenagers to sell his drugs on street corners. He is stocky and muscled, and with his gold chains and costly sunglasses, presents an intimidating figure. Toomey’s pricey Cadillac Escalade, complete with tinted windows, chrome exhaust pipes and bass-forward stereo system, complements his flashy appearance.

Toomey’s criminal reputation precedes him at the cookout, where folks stay out of his way. The man exudes an intimidating power, and Zane thinks Tru looks small and deflated next to the drug lord. While Zane believes Toomey’s smiles and generous offers of aid sound legit, Tru explains that nothing Toomey does is for free. Toomey got Malvina’s mom hooked on drugs and wants to keep Malvina “under his evil eye” to control her mom (95). Although Toomey is as “slippery as a snake” (141), Malvina outwits him at the Superdome. Ultimately, Toomey is killed, earning the “wages of sin” as Miss Trissy notes (171), paraphrasing Romans 6:23 from the Bible. Miss Trissy also alludes to Leviticus 19:18, also known as the Golden Rule, which says to treat others how you want to be treated. Toomey did evil unto others, and, for all his wealth and power, he eventually falls prey to the same evil he created.

A “short, round black lady with chocolate skin and close-cropped frizzy hair,” Tru’s cousin Belinda lives in nearby Algiers and runs the Last Chance Animal Shelter. Belinda also serves as the novel’s deus ex machina, a plot device where a problem that looks unsolvable is quickly solved out of nowhere. She arrives just in time to whisk Zane, Tru, Malvina, and Bandy to safety, save Bandy’s life, get Tru medicine for his sepsis, assure Malvina she is now part of her family, and tell Zane the truth about his father. Belinda attributes her fortuitous arrival to recognizing Tru’s “lucky” hat.

Belinda is a skilled vet tech. Notably, Belinda does not speak in the regional dialect, which may contribute to the “air of authority” she exerts that makes the cops stand down (156). She does not fit the linguistic aspect of their racist profile. Belinda is competent, and calm, and no-nonsense. Like Tru, she values family ties and regrets losing touch with Tru over the years. By the novel’s end, she has a chance to make up for lost time. 

Zane says his mom is “the best mom in the world” (5), and she clearly loves her “Zaney” just as much. She is frantic when Zane cannot fly home before the storm, and when she loses touch with him after the power goes out.

Zane knows that his mom has a plan for everything, but even the best of her plans cannot withstand Hurricane Katrina. During the storm and the dangers afterwards, Zane dreams about his mom, indicating how influential she is in his life. Along with plans, Zane’s mom also shares many helpful maxims. Some of her pithy sayings, like “don’t be mad, be smart” (51) help Zane survive, and make him feel less alone.

As for other characters, family history and connections are important to Zane’s mom. Mom sees her late husband’s features in Zane, and when she finds out that Gerald has a living relative, she is thrilled. Although she has tried to keep Zane’s father a presence in Zane’s life by telling Zane stories about him, she knows they are no substitute for a living relative. 

Gerald, Zane’s late father, is an important presence in the novel. Although Gerald only appears in others’ memories of him, Zane’s expanding sense of Gerald’s life and his connection to him informs Zane’s sense of identity. The mystery behind Gerald’s running away, and the mysterious circumstances around his brother James’s death, create suspense and motivate Zane to learn about his family. Zane comes to realize the truth of Tru’s advice: A boy should know about his father’s life.