51 pages 1 hour read

Rachel Kushner

The Flamethrowers

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2013

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Character Analysis

Reno

Reno is the protagonist of the novel and the only character who narrates the story from a first-person point of view. She is young, hungry for adventure, and easily seduced by wildness. Reno is an exciting character to follow. Self-deprecating, self-aware, but still undergoing a journey to the powerful woman she will become, Reno is an interesting protagonist because she is imperfect. She doesn’t see the people around her for what they truly are, even when they’re not trying to hide their quirks and flaws. Reno chooses what to see and what to turn away from. She is by nature an observer; her artist’s eyes are always looking at the details, even if she is not always analyzing those details. Reno’s keen sense of adventure leads her to incredibly unique experiences that allude to the heroes of American novels. She is a nomad and a diverse thinker, unafraid of the challenges of the world. Internally lonely yet uninterested in changing herself to be a part of a community, she is an original.