The White Mountains

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses enslavement.

Will Parker is the narrator and protagonist of The White Mountains. As 13-year-old Will approaches adulthood, he demonstrates many conflicting impulses. For instance, he absorbs his parents’ teachings about the Tripods even as he entertains the notion of resisting or escaping them. He befriends one cousin, Jack, even as he comes to detest another, Henry. His narration is generally straightforward and honest, even when it paints Will himself in a negative light. For instance, Will prefaces the passage describing his temptation to stay in the castle with Eloise with the disclaimer, “It is not easy to write about what followed” (140), presumably because Will is ashamed of his behavior, though his reluctance may also reflect his sorrow at Eloise’s fate. In this and similar passages, Will’s internal thought processes show him to be a conscientious, reflective individual, even if he does sometimes succumb to pride or jealousies for a time. Will’s primary goals include gaining and maintaining freedom from the oppressive Tripods, as well as showing loyalty to others who share his cause.

As the protagonist, Will drives the narrative forward through his goal of reaching