Can Such Things Be? · Character
John May
A sullen young man who threatens his father, takes to his bed with brain fever, and raves of murder while the search parties comb the wood.
supporting
Also known as John, May senior, May
First appearance: the haunted valley
As a supporting figure in Can Such Things Be?, John May is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The morose son who threatens his father after being struck, later indicted for murder but acquitted.
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John May lives with his family in a strained truce after his father struck him and he answered with a terrible threat that was never withdrawn. One Sunday in June his father goes out with a spade to dig at a spring a…
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See John May in the haunted valleyCharacter Web
3 connectionsA slice of how John May sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Other
Character groups
- Mysterious Tragedies
- Drunkard's Supernatural
- Returned from Dead
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of the narrato…
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John May appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See John May in the haunted valley