Killing Mr. Griffin characters

Appears from the start

A quiet high-school student who wants to be accepted by classmates she sees as more confident and exciting. Susan is a capable writer in Mr. Griffin's English class, and the conspirators recruit her because the teacher is likely to trust her. Her wish to belong draws her into a plan that frightens her from the start.

Appears from the start

A demanding high-school English teacher who refuses late work, easy praise, and excuses. His severe classroom manner has made several students resent him, although his standards come from a serious belief that they can improve. He becomes the target of a scheme intended to frighten and humiliate him.

First appears in chapter 2

A charismatic student with an unusual ability to identify what other people want and use it to direct them. Mark remains calm while proposing that the group abduct Mr. Griffin as punishment, making a dangerous plan sound controlled and temporary. He treats other students' doubts as weaknesses to overcome.

Appears from the start

A popular student and athlete whose anger at failing Mr. Griffin's class helps give the kidnapping plan its initial momentum. Jeff relies on his physical confidence and social standing, but he is less prepared for the consequences than his willingness to intimidate the teacher suggests.

First appears in chapter 2

A popular student who joins the plot as part of Mark and Jeff's social circle. Betsy is accustomed to attention and initially regards the abduction as a dramatic prank rather than an act capable of irreversible harm.

First appears in chapter 2

The senior-class president, outwardly responsible and eager to preserve the successful future others expect of him. David lives with his grandmother and is vulnerable to Mark's pressure because exposure would destroy both his reputation and his plans. He becomes one of the students used to carry out the abduction.

First appears in chapter 5

Mr. Griffin's wife, who knows the thoughtful private man behind the stern teacher his students see. She is pregnant and expects him home, so his unexplained absence immediately has a human urgency that the students' plan never accounted for.

First appears in chapter 2

David's elderly grandmother and the central adult in his home life. Her affection and dependence intensify his fear of disgrace, while her alertness makes her capable of noticing details the conspirators would prefer to keep hidden.

Appears from the start

Susan's mother, occupied with the needs of a busy household and initially unaware of the crisis behind her daughter's increasingly strained behavior. Susan's ordinary family life makes the secrecy surrounding Mr. Griffin feel even more isolating.