About Jodie Cantrell

‍Appearance: 

Jodie is tall for her age. Older relatives sometimes describe her as “all arms and legs”. She doesn’t have the slightest interest in makeup or fashion. Typically, she’s seen wearing faded jeans and a tee shirt. She tends to wrap strands of hair around her fingers when she’s reading or trying to figure something out.

Dialogue Style: 

Jodie speaks with a Kentucky accent and uses local expressions. Her speech is also peppered with lines from classic films and musical terms. 

Personality traits: 

Curiosity, outspokenness, impatience. Jodie likes to know what’s going on and why. Adult family members often share issues with her that others might consider beyond her age and scope. It can be argued this approach is warranted given some events of her life (see Backstory), though some in Hartsend wouldn’t agree. In their minds, girls should only be given information on a need-to-know basis, and girls didn’t need to know much.

Backstory: 

Jodie loses two close relatives before her tenth birthday. Just after Jodie enters second grade, her grandfather J. D. suffers a debilitating stroke that necessitates his move to a nursing home. It also means the sale of his farm, a place where Jodie has loved spending weekends. The next year, Jodie’s father Frank is killed in a work-related accident. J. D., who can’t understand why his son has stopped visiting, worsens and dies. 

Jodie’s mother Melanie asks her brother Art and sister Patsy for help. Art has been supportive of Jodie and her dreams in the past. He tells Melanie that he will reach out to Jodie.

Relationships:
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Art is the coach at Hartsend High School. He takes Jodie with him to baseball, football, and basketball games. Soon her cousin Travis, Patsy’s son, joins them. Jodie and Travis develop a close bond, more like brother and sister than cousins. Travis is gay, and Jodie becomes committed to helping him protect his privacy. 
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A few years later, Jodie meets Heather LIndsay at a Girl Scout gathering. The two bond over their mutual dislike of the Girl Scouts (both were forced to attend by their mothers). After finding out Heather likes sports, Jodie invites her to outings with Art and Travis. The girls are on their way to becoming best friends.


Motivations and Goals:
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At the beginning of the story, Jodie’s motivations and goals are the vague dreams of a teenage girl. Although she talks about going to college and law school, she has no idea what steps are required. She fantasizes about returning to Hartsend years later, as the lead attorney in a trial. (Naturally, she waives her fee since no one in Hartsend can afford it.)

By the end of the story, Jodie’s motivations have become laser-focused. She’s mapping out the steps to apply for college and prepare for a career in law. (See Character Arc)
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Character Arc:

Jodie is greatly affected by the way Heather is penalized for speaking against injustice. She’s infuriated by the failure of Hartsend’s police department to support her friend. Seeing the reaction of the town - its tendency to sweep unpleasant things away rather than confront them- makes Jodie even more determined to become an attorney.