Chrissy Marshall

Character Sketch: Jim  

Physical Description: 

Jim Marshall is a slender, but well-dressed man, around five feet, five inches tall. He has gray hair, though he has lost some of it, being in his early 70’s. He often wears a Missoni shirt; this one has a silky material, with red and blue stripes, with subtle yet bold patterns. He often wears his dressy brown jacket, and always has his glasses on. He is still wearing his wedding ring, even though his wife, Gai Pearl Marshall passed nearly a decade ago. He is a classy man on the outside, and does not appear to have any issues to work through. 

Personality: 

Along with his classy appearance, he is full of life, with a marvelous sense of humor and fascinating stories to share. He always has a glass of wine (or several) to accompany his brilliant conversation, and overall is a great deal of fun to be around. Jim’s delightful British accent certainly helps with his popularity, but he is not always be in tune with his emotions. He has a habit of making fun of those who do show their feelings, proudly stating he “shoves his feelings under the rug.” While he is the life of the party, when there are too many emotions, he can become a bit arrogant, and short sighted. 

Family History: 

Jim is the uncle of the other central character (me, will either have my name Chrissy or Ruby). They have not seen each other in a decade, so spending four days together in Barcelona is a big deal. Jim is the second oldest, in a family of four brothers. Bill is the eldest, then Jim, followed by John, who passed away many years ago, Tom is the youngest. The brothers all love each other, but because issues were rarely dealt with, they struggled to deal with their emotions. Jim’s way of handling the family drama was to move as far away as possible, to London. He was only supposed to be there a year, but he loved it so much, he never left. He was able to be close with his family on his own terms, while staying maximally distant. Sometimes he prefers it, but at times, it can get rather lonely. His niece is the daughter of his late brother, which is sure to stir up some feelings. 

Personal Conflicts: 

Jim is rather nervous about getting to know me as an adult, and I am as well. I have no problem showing my emotions, which he is not fond of. They will both be experiencing conflict. For Jim, I am the spitting image of my dad. For me, he is a connection to the father I never knew.  

Character questions: 

Will Jim be able to get through the trip with his niece without starting a fight? Unlikely, but it all depends on her response. What conflicts are going to arise between them? Are they going to come across some family topics they did not know they needed to heal from? How will their time end? 

Focused Attributes for the short story: 

Jim’s emotions and those he tries to keep buried will be the focus of this story. When he is with his niece, whether they can get along will be a true test. Throughout the story, both characters will have memories from the past, illustrating issues to work through. This will paint the picture that someone like Jim can have it all together, nice clothes, money, a brilliantly entertaining life, but without digging deeper, it just is not enough.