Poetry · Character

Bill Brown

Bold Bill Brown strides through McIntyre's narrative verse as the recurring emblem of daring, the name that surfaces whenever courage or calamity needs a human face.

supporting

Also known as Brown, bold Bill Brown, Will

First appearance: reminiscences

As a supporting figure in Poetry, Bill Brown is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The Ingersoll man who survives the rafting disaster and is rescued.

In the storyAdventure on a RaftOpen this moment free

See Bill Brown in Adventure on a Raft Book page

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

Brown belongs to the loose fraternity of figures McIntyre summons to embody risk — the swimmer, the steamer passenger, the townsman caught in public drama. His boldness is his defining trait and his quiet liability, since the poems that invoke him tend to place him near water, crowds, and forces larger than any single man. He matters because he gives the collection its recurring pulse of masculine bravado, a thread readers can follow from poem to poem.

Continue beside the text

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

See Bill Brown in reminiscences

Character Web

21 connections

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

Relationship types

Friendship
Romantic
Other

Character groups

Recurring narrative characters
Military and animal figures
Literary and narrative figures
Diverse referenced characters

+16 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the boy’s childish joy and naive belief that he can see Ameri…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Jack Smith
friendship · positive
Bill Brown and Jack Smith are close companions, frequently seen together in shared… How this plays out →
Lady Ann
romantic · positive

Relationship notes

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

See Bill Brown in reminiscences

In the story

Bill Brown appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Adventure on a Raft
The Ingersoll man who survives the rafting disaster and is rescued.
Female Revenge
The boastful young man who intends to steal a kiss from Mary.
Book Agent Story
The protagonist who is duped into buying a book of martyrs and later enraged when his wife buys another copy from the same agent.
Land Clearing
Friend who leaves for a barn raising, instructing the narrator to clear stumps.
Bear and Falls
One of the three hunters who jumps into the canoe to pursue the bear.
Bear Hunt
One of the two youths from York state; he is mauled by the bear and has two ribs broken, but survives thanks to Dawes.
Baby Darling
The miner who pines for his family and is moved by a baby's cry.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Bill Brown unlock in the free preview.

See Bill Brown in reminiscences

See Bill Brown in Adventure on a Raft