# Young Stranger — Poetry character guide

> Young Stranger in Poetry by Ring Lardner.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** a young stranger

**First appearance:** 0001-in-the-wake-of-the-news

## Snapshot

A child addressed directly by the narrator, whose questions, bedtime delays, and small demands turn domestic routine into a comic test of patience and affection.

## Who they are

The young stranger is the narrator's live-in audience and occasional antagonist, the child whose face must be washed, whose playthings must be gathered, and whose endless questions exhaust the speaker's goodwill. The tension is affectionate exasperation: the narrator cheerfully performs most duties but openly begs for relief from the interrogation. This relationship anchors the book's middle stretch, where the grand public themes of class poems and baseball give way to the intimate, funny labor of raising a small child.

## Relationships

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_social_

The narrator encounters a young stranger repeatedly, with an air of curiosity and fleeting connection.

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_social_

The narrator encounters a young stranger repeatedly, with an air of curiosity and fleeting connection.

## In the story

### [To the Latest](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/to-the-latest)

The new arrival, referred to as 'No. 3' and 'kid,' who is the subject of the narrator's affection and protection.

### [Help Wanted](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/help-wanted)

The child being cared for, whose constant questioning is the source of the narrator's frustration.

### [The Eternal Question](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/the-eternal-question)

The inquisitive child who repeatedly asks 'What for?'

### [Bib Ballads](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/bib-ballads)

A visiting baby who is perpetually grumpy and disruptive, later revealed to be the narrator's own son during a bad cold.

### [A Visit from Young Gloom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/a-visit-from-young-gloom)

The baby who visits and displays constant unhappiness, crying and quarreling with everyone.

### [His Sense of Humor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/his-sense-of-humor)

The son whose playful antics (soaking slippers, filling hat with earth, opening chicken-yard) are described as not delicate enough for the parent's taste.

### [Taste](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/taste)

The child who ignores traditional toys and books in favor of daddy's hat and the telephone book.

### [Hesitation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/hesitation)

The child sleeping peacefully, described as a 'little chap' with blissful dreams.

### [The Grocery Man and the Bear](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/the-grocery-man-and-the-bear)

The child audience who becomes obsessed with the story, preferring it over all other toys and stories.

### [His Imagination](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/his-imagination)

The child whose imagination is celebrated in the poem.

### [Declaration of Independence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/declaration-of-independence)

The child who asserts independence by insisting on doing things alone, such as sitting, eating, and moving without help.

### [Nearly a Sinecure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/nearly-a-sinecure)

The child who pretends to commute to the office, only to return home seconds later.

### [His Favorite Role](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/his-favorite-role)

The child being addressed, who has chosen to pretend to be a garbage man despite having limitless imaginative options.

### [Dave’s Imperturbability](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/chapters/dave-s-imperturbability)

Davey, the narrator's child, who responds to accidents with cool indifference.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/characters/young_stranger
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_19_se/characters