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John Brown’s Body · Character

Jim Merrihew

A Union soldier, comrade of Jack Ellyat.

minor

Also known as Jim

First appearance: book i

Jim Merrihew's tie to Luke Breckinridge is one of the pressures that moves John Brown’s Body—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

With Luke Breckinridge (rivalry): Jim Merrihew and Luke Breckinridge are antagonists, often clashing over conflicting loyalties and ideologies. With Luke Breckinridge (rivalry): Jim Merrihew and Luke Breckinridge are…

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The fuller portrait of Jim Merrihew sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Jim Merrihew in book i

Character Web

11 connections

A slice of how Jim Merrihew sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

LBLuke Breckinri…OMOld MistisLWLucy WeatherbySDSally DupréYMYoung Marse ClayJMJim Merrihew

Relationship types

  • Rivalry
  • Other

Character groups

  • Minor and supporting characters
  • Southern homefront characters
  • Wingate plantation enslaved characters
  • Aristocratic and military circles
  • Union and Southern civilians

+6 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This passage marks the dramatic climax because it captures the emotional and psychological peak of collective…

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Relationships

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Jim Merrihew in book i
Who is Jim Merrihew in John Brown’s Body?