Wringer characters

Appears from the start

A boy in Waymer who is approaching the birthday that will make him eligible to serve as a wringer at the town's annual Pigeon Day. He wants the acceptance enjoyed by the neighborhood boys but is horrified by the duty they celebrate. Much of his outward conformity is an attempt to keep that fear secret.

First appears in chapter 2

Palmer's mother, who gives him an affectionate and secure home. She recognizes more of his distress than he explains and supports him without forcing him to announce fears he is not ready to share.

First appears in chapter 2

Palmer's father, a lifelong Waymer resident familiar with Pigeon Day and its traditions. Palmer worries about disappointing him, which makes it harder to admit that he wants no part in becoming a wringer.

First appears in chapter 4

Palmer's neighbor and schoolmate. Direct, self-possessed, and willing to challenge the boys' cruelty, Dorothy remains attentive to Palmer even when he mistreats her to impress his friends.

First appears in chapter 6

The forceful leader of a neighborhood trio Palmer longs to join. Beans turns mockery and intimidation into tests of loyalty, sets the group's targets, and treats participation in Pigeon Day as proof of courage.

First appears in chapter 6

One of Beans's two close followers. Mutto joins the group's pranks and harassment, reinforcing Beans's rules about how a boy must behave to remain accepted.

First appears in chapter 6

The quieter member of Beans's trio. Henry participates in the group's cruelty and follows its leader, though he is less dominant than Beans and less eager to draw attention to himself.

First appears in chapter 9

An older boy who administers the Treatment, the birthday punches that serve as a local rite of passage. His looming arrival makes Palmer's entry into the older boys' world both desirable and frightening.

First appears in chapter 20

A pigeon who repeatedly visits Palmer's bedroom window and becomes his hidden pet. Named for the way he gently pecks Palmer's ear, Nipper is trusting, persistent, and impossible for Palmer to reconcile with the town's view of pigeons as targets.