A Land More Kind than Home

Jess is one of the point-of-view narrators and is the nine-year-old brother of Stump and the son of Julie and Ben. He is a quiet, mild-mannered boy who is interested in the same things that other boys in his rural town are, such as playing in the woods and catching salamanders. He is well-behaved and respects his parents, admiring his father in particular. Jess serves as a protector of Stump even though Stump is older than Jess. It is Jess who cares for Stump as they wander and play, his love and admiration for his brother clear. Though he recognizes that Stump’s inability to speak limits Stump in certain ways, Jess does not pity him or view his disability as a flaw. When Jess witnesses the church congregation attempting to heal Stump, he grows fearful and concerned, worried that Stump is being physically harmed. Overwhelmed by his love for his brother, Jess calls out to his mother, and it is this sound that Julie mistakes for Stump’s first successful speech. 

Jess thus unwittingly plays a role in the events that lead to his brother’s death—a tragic irony given Jess’s love for and acceptance of his brother. Though he does not explicitly blame himself, Jess feels sadness and overwhelming guilt as events spiral, resulting in the deaths of both his brother and his father.