‘Flames’: Who is who? How do they connect?
Are you studying Flames and are wondering, ‘How does this all connect and how are these characters connected?’ Well, wait no longer because we have done the hard work for you and have outlined this through a character map. Download it here.
Character Outline:
Charlotte McAllister: One of our protagonists and the sibling of Levi. Charlotte is a part of a line of women who experience a rebirth and a second death (Edith McAllister’s rebirth and second death occur in ‘Ash’). In ‘Sky’, Charlotte, worried about the restriction of her brother’s plan to help her not have a second death, runs away on a journey to a new life. Along that journey, she encounters The Miners, who both give her the idea to go to Melaleuca and attempt to assault her. After that, Charlotte meets The Sailor, who gives her passage to Melaleuca. (‘Feather’) While there, she works at the Wombat farm (owned by Mrs Quorn and managed by Allen Gibson) and meets Nicola. While working there, disaster strikes through the killing of wombats by Allen (while possessed by the spirit of the Cormorant), and in an attempt to save Nicola from Allen’s threat, Charlotte begins leaking fire and burns the farm down. (‘Grass’) The Ranger comes and has arranged a plane to remove them from Melaleuca. After fleeing (‘Snow’), Melaleuca, with Nicola, Charlotte and her growing love interest, hide in a hut in Cradle Mountain (owned by Oshikawa). While there, Charlotte struggles to control her flames and is eventually found by The Detective (‘Ice’), who was hired by Levi after he believed Charlotte missing. With The Detective and Nicola, they return and find Levi in Notley Fern Gorge, manically building the coffin, under the magical influence of the Esk God’s pelt (‘Grove’). In a sort of battle that ensues after Charlotte attempts to stop Levi and Nicola is harmed, Charlotte’s flames burn the forest and the pelt. Charlotte’s father, The Fire God, emerges out of the flames and then disappears. (‘Cloud’)The Cloud God, meanwhile, releases a flood as she grieves the loss of her love, the Esk God. The novel ends with Charlotte, Nicola, The Detective and Levi saved. A form of reconciliation and healing occurs with the remaining characters (‘Sea’).
Levi McAllister: Our second protagonist and sibling of Charlotte. In response to his mother’s death and his sister’s concerns of her second death, Levi decides to build her a coffin in an attempt to stop her from eventually experiencing a second death (‘Ash’). In that process, he meets Karl (Oneblood Tuna hunter) while on the beach looking for driftwood (‘Salt’) and reaches out to Thurston Hough, author of ‘The Wooden Jacket’, to ask for his assistance in building Charlotte’s coffin (‘Fur’). They have a contentious working relationship as a result of Thurston’s aggressive nature. In the meantime, Levi has reported Charlotte missing, and Detective Graham Malik is put on the case. When Graham reports that Charlotte isn’t missing but rather has run away, Levi hires The Detective to track down Charlotte. (‘Wood’) After not having heard from Thurston for a while, Levi goes to find him and discovers him dead, clutching the pelt of the Esk God. Levi takes the pelt and vows to finish making the coffin himself. (‘Grove’) Levi is then seen in Notley Fern Gorge manically building Charlotte’s coffin. After a climactic confrontation between Charlotte and Levi, the Gorge burns from Charlotte’s flames and the island is flooded from the Cloud God’s grief (‘Cloud’). Levi wakes up with no recollection of what occurred, and he reconciles with his sister. Levi and Charlotte visit Nicola in the hospital, where he attempts to apologise to Nicola but is overwhelmed with his grief instead (‘Sea’).
The Fire God/ Jack: The father of the protagonists is seen in the first chapter of the text, ‘Ash,’ where he sees the reincarnated mother of his children (Edith) and when he reaches to touch her, she bursts into flames. He is later mentioned in ‘Iron,’ when the Esk God thinks of him and notes his power. In ‘Ice,’ the Detective hears about Jack and gets a ‘twinge’ that tells her something is off about him. She later meets him at the burning Wombat Farm, where she struggles to make out definitive physical features, and it appears that he had some effect on her to make her mind foggy and confused. We then see him in ‘Wood’ when he goes to Levi’s family's house and attempts to speak with him. The father and son get into an argument about Jack’s absence from their life, while Jack encourages Levi to look after himself and his sister. We then get immense insight into him in ‘Coal’, where we learn about how he came to exist and his experiences with First Nations people as he details his life. including the colonisation of Australia until he meets Edith and has Charlotte and Levi. He also details how Charlotte has the spark of fire from her father and his point of view of Edith’s second death. His last appearance is in ‘Grove’, where he appears out of the flames whilst Notley Fern Grove is on fire and then disappears.
Edith McAllister: The mother of our protagonists appears in ‘Ash’ through her second death and is mentioned by other characters through various moments in the rest of the novel. We see her once again in ‘Coal,’ where Jack details meeting her and having children together. Additionally, we see the same second death from his perspective in that chapter.
The Esk God/ Water Rat/ Rakali: The Esk God is first seen cuddling up in his rakali/ water rat form, next to a sleeping Charlotte under a dinghy. Charlotte mentions him (unknowing of his status as a deity) in ‘Sky’, but it is in ‘Iron’ where we see his point of view as he travels through the Esk River and details the human invasion of nature as well as his love, The Cloud God. At the end of this chapter, he is trapped by Thurston Hough. In ‘Fur’, we learn that Hough trapped, killed and skinned the Esk God for his fur to use in Charlotte’s coffin. This fur pelt drives Hough mad and sends the animals of the river to attack him. When Levi comes to see Hough after a lack of communication (‘Wood’), he finds Hough dead, clutching the pelt. Levi takes the pelt and is too affected by it. The pelt is the centre of Levi and Charlotte’s fight in ‘Grove’ and is eventually burnt by the fire that consumes the gorge. 'The Cloud God mourns his death as she smells his burnt fur and floods the island (Cloud).
The Cloud God: The Cloud God, love of The Esk God, is mentioned in ‘Iron’ and in ‘Cloud’, we see her grief at the loss of The Esk God as she floods the island with her tears.
Thurston Hough: The famous coffin maker and author of ‘The Wooden Jacket’ is seen through The Esk God’s eyes in ‘Fur’ as he traps the water rat and kills him. We then see his perspective in the chapter, ‘Wood’, where he communicates via letters with Levi about building a coffin for Charlotte. Throughout this chapter, he is rude and seen to be a recluse. We additionally see his descent into madness from The Esk God’s fur pelt. He is also mentioned in ‘Cake’, where Mavis Micurrent details how unfriendly he is. He is then finally seen in ‘Wood’ where Levi finds him dead and clutching The Esk God’s fur pelt.
Karl: Karl, the father of Nicola and the Oneblood Tuna hunter, is first seen in ‘Salt.’ Throughout this chapter, we learn about how Karl and his seal met, bonded and began hunting Oneblood Tuna. We also learn of how he met Nicola’s mother (Louise) and had a family. Karl also details the death of his seal by a pack of Orcas. ‘Salt’ also exposes the relationship between Karl and Oshikawa (supplier of Oneblood Tuna), as we see the industry of Oneblood Tuna hunting and selling has led to overfishing. Karl also sees and speaks with Levi at the end of this chapter. He is mentioned in ‘Snow’ as Nicola has memories of her father. Finally, he is seen in ‘Sea’ as he helps Levi float.
Louise: Louise is the mother of Nicola and Karl’s partner. We see her in ‘Salt’ as we learn how she and Karl met, as well as her bonding with Karl’s seal.
Nicola: Nicola is first seen in Allen Gibson’s diary entries (‘Feather’), where we learn that he is her boss at the Wombat Farm. This is also where we learn that Charlotte has begun working there. Nicola is then seen throughout ‘Grass’ where The Ranger details the burning of the Wombat Farm and helps Nicola and Charlotte escape Melaleuca. We then get a chapter from her perspective in ‘Snow’ which details her and Charlotte’s movements after escaping the farm and their growing romantic relationship. This is also where we learn that the stone hut in Crater Lake that they are hiding in is owned by her father’s friend, Oshikawa. Throughout this chapter, we see how Nicola helps calm Charlotte’s seemingly uncontrollable flames. Nicola and Charlotte are then found by The Detective. We continue to see Nicola in ‘Grove’ as The Detective takes both her and Charlotte to find Levi, eventually finding him in Notley Fern Gorge. During the fight between Charlotte and Levi, Nicola is injured. We then see her again in ‘Sea’, where Levi and Charlotte visit her in the hospital as she is recovering from her injuries. It is here that she has her idea for her father to take Levi out into the water and bond with a seal pup.
Allen Gibson: Allen Gibson is the manager of the Wombat Farm on Melaleuca. It is through his diary entries in chapter ‘Feather’ that we first meet him and see the tragic killings of the wombat that we learn is by his own hand as he is possessed by the spirit of a Cormorant. Allen is completely taken over by this spirit and attempts to kill Nicola and Charlotte. He eventually falls into a mine on the property and remains there for some time, injured from the fire that Charlotte began, and he completes his physical transformation into a cormorant.
The Detective: An alcoholic private investigator who is hired by Levi to find Charlotte. We see her first mentioned in ‘Fur’, where Levi tells Hough that he has hired her now that the police have given up their search for Charlotte. We then get a chapter from her perspective in ‘Ice’ where she meets Levi and attempts to track Charlotte’s movements. Throughout this chapter, we learn that she was married to Graham Malik (the lead police detective who was initially searching for Charlotte) as she speaks to him about Charlotte’s case. We also see her encounter The Miners who assaulted Charlotte and The Sailor who gave Charlotte passage to Melaleuca. She also sees the fire at Melaleuca and eventually tracks Nicola and Charlotte at Crater’s Lake. We then see her throughout ‘Grove’ taking Charlotte and Nicola back to Levi, where they encounter Levi at Notley Fern Gorge. The Detective helps Nicola when she is burned during the fight between Charlotte and Levi. Her last mention is in ‘Sea’ where Charlotte tells Levi that The Detective carried him to the car and that she will return for the money owed for investigating Charlotte’s disappearance.
Graham Malik: The lead detective who was initially searching for Charlotte and The Detective’s ex-husband. He is first mentioned in ‘Fur’, where Levi tells Hough about the current search for his sister. We see him in The Detective’s POV chapter, ‘Ice’, where they discuss Charlotte’s missing persons case.
The Ranger: The Ranger works on Melaleuca and is a friend of Allen Gibson. The Ranger is first mentioned in ‘Feather’, where Gibson mentions that The Ranger visits him sometimes. Later in that same chapter, the Ranger arrives after Nicola and Charlotte raise their concerns about the farm, and he checks up on Gibson. Due to Gibson’s spiralling mental state, he threatens to kill his friend and drives him off the farm. We then receive a chapter from his perspective in ‘Grass’ where he details his life and love for nature. Throughout this chapter, we also see his perspective of what Gibson had detailed in ‘Feather’ as well as how he saved Nicola and Charlotte by organising a plane to go to the farm and rescue them. The Ranger sees Charlotte's flames but never reports her.
Mavis Midcurrent: Mavis Midcurrent is the author of ‘Cream, Butter and Small-Town Nutters,’ where she details the town of Avoca and those who played an important role in the community. She also uses this as an opportunity to detail how unfriendly Thurston Hough is (‘Cake’).
The Sailor: The Sailor is seen twice in this novel, firstly when he takes Charlotte to Melaleuca in ‘Sky’ and secondly when The Detective is tracking Charlotte’s movements in ‘Ice.’ In this chapter, we see that he plans not to tell The Detective anything about Charlotte, but eventually shares all he knows when she offers him cash.
The Miners: The Miners are seen in ‘Sky’ where they chat with Charlotte at a bar after she overhears them speaking about Melaleuca. It is in this chapter that she begins to have relations with one of the miners, but the two Miners have a plot for both of them to partake and force sex. Charlotte, through her flames, burns them and overpowers them. They are also seen in ‘Ice’ when The Detective finds them and begins to speak with them to gain information about where Charlotte went. Once they do, she allows them to touch her until she hits both of them and leaves.
Mrs Quorn: Mrs Quorn owns the Wombat farm that Allen Gibson manages. She is mentioned in ‘Feather’ where Gibson decides to hold off from telling her about the Wombat deaths.
Oshikawa: Oshikawa is a friend of Karls as they work together. Oshikawa is a wholesaler of Oneblood Tuna (Salt). He is also mentioned in ‘Snow’ where Nicola outlines that the hut she and Charlotte are hiding in is owned by him.
