Calvin O'Keefe

Calvin O’Keefe is one of the main characters of the story. He is a high school junior who plays for the school’s basketball team and belongs to the most popular boys at school. He is the third child in the family and has ten more brothers and sisters. Because of having too many kids, his mother is always tired and irritable. As a result, Calvin, like other kids, is neglected by his own family and starts to seek love in the Murry family. He seems to like this family much more than his one, and all his life, he feels like he is hiding is the true essence.

At first sight, it seems that Calvin is completely different from Meg as he is accepted by the public and particularly popular at school. However, he is misunderstood by his own family, and it makes him also feel like he is the odd man out. Calvin’s character plays an important role in Meg’s development as a person throughout the whole story. At the beginning of their journey, Calvin can be described as Meg’s protector.

However, at a certain point, when the Happy Medium shows Calvin’s mother, this role changes, and instead, Meg becomes Calvin’s protector offering him sympathy and comfort. The fact that she tries to protect one of the most popular boys at school makes Meg understand that she has hidden powers the existence of which was a secret for her before. Besides that, Calvin likes Meg, and this fact helps strengthen Meg’s self-confidence. He even suggests that he should go to Camazotz instead of Meg to protect her, and it is an example of true love.