Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Overview... a high school educator in Omaha. Jim can't imagine doing anything else with his life. He takes a personal interest in his students' lives during their difficult young adult years, and he takes that responsibility seriously. That's why he can’t believe that this whole student election mess started. All Jim wanted to do was for the right person to win, and more importantly, for Tracy Flick to lose. At some point, a point Jim can’t quite pinpoint, things got way out of hand. Now he might lose everything – including the election.
Personality... hypocritical, vengeful, and disillusioned. For all his talk of ethics, Jim is not above stuffing the ballot box or tossing votes to win the election for Paul over Tracy. That's how fed up he is with Tracy and her goody-two-shoes game. There's always a Tracy Flick, every year, and they always get their way. Not this time.
Get to Know him in...
-
A high school teacher's personal life becomes complicated as he works with students during the school elections.
-
A novel from the author of The Leftovers
Tracy Flick wants to be President of Winwood High. She's one of those ambitious girls who finds time to do it all: edit the yearbook, star in the musical, sleep with her English teacher. But another teacher, staunch idealist Jim McAllister (aka "Mr. M."), thinks the students deserve better. So he persuades Paul Warren--a well-liked, good-hearted jock--to throw in his hat. But that puts Paul's sister, Tammy, in a snit. So she runs, too, on an apathy platform--before starting a real campaign...to get herself kicked out of school.Tammy's upset because her secret, forbidden love has been lured away...by her own brother. Tracy's upset because losing this election might screw up her college chances. Mr. M.'s upset because ever since he embarked on his own extramarital affair, his life's been falling apart. As for Paul, well, he's not sure what's going on.
The whole idea was to educate the students at this suburban New Jersey school in the democratic process and the American way. But with all the sex scandals, smear campaigns, and behind-the-scenes power brokers at Winwood High, it doesn't look as if they need any lessons...
