Chapter: 03. The Witches
Character Profiles: Traits and Relationships
The Narrator (The Boy)
Role in the Story: The young protagonist and listener who survives a personal tragedy and is introduced to the terrifying world of witches by his grandmother. Young: Seven years old when the stories begin. Orphaned: His parents were killed in a car accident. Vulnerable: Prone to sadness and easily frightened by the witch tales (“quaking a little”). Curious: Eager to hear more stories from his grandmother, especially about the vanished children. Initially Skeptical: Believes his grandmother is “just trying to frighten” him before being convinced. Grandmother: His loving guardian, comforter, and the source of all his knowledge about witches. Parents: Deceased; their loss brings him to live with his grandmother. The Grandmother
Role in the Story: The narrator’s wise and caring guardian who introduces him to the dark, real world of witches. Caring and Protective: Takes her grandson in immediately and loves him, wanting to keep him safe. “Tremendously Old and Wrinkled”: Suggests a long life and deep well of experience. Wonderful Storyteller: Captivates the narrator with her narratives. “Great Expert on these Creatures” (Witches): Possesses extensive, specific, and seemingly firsthand knowledge about witches, insisting their existence is real and dangerous. Grave and Convincing: Delivers her warnings about witches with solemnity, emphasizing the urgency of believing her. Resigned to Norwegian Magic: Accepts the widespread presence of witches in Norway as a normal fact of life. Narrator (Grandson): Her primary concern and confidant; she shares her life experiences and warnings with him. Ranghild Hansen
Role in the Story: The first child the grandmother recounts as having vanished, taken by a witch. Young: About eight years old when she disappeared. Vulnerable: Easily led away by a disguised witch. Little Sister: Witnessed her being taken away. Mother: Discovered her disappearance. “The Tall Lady in White Gloves”: The witch who abducted her. Solveg Christiansen
Role in the Story: The second child the grandmother describes as transformed by a witch. Trusting: Accepted an apple from a “nice lady.” Transformed: Mysteriously appeared, and was permanently trapped, within an oil painting. The Christiansen Family (Parents): Her family who owned the painting she became a part of. “Nice Lady”: The witch who gave her the apple and caused her transformation. Birgit Svenson
Role in the Story: The third child the grandmother recounts being transformed by a witch. Unusual Transformation: Grew feathers and turned into a large white chicken. Parents: Kept her as a chicken for years after her transformation. Harald
Role in the Story: The fourth child the grandmother describes as transformed by a witch. Gruesome Transformation: His skin became crackly, and he turned completely into solid granite stone. Relationships: Not specified beyond his individual fate. Leif
Role in the Story: The fifth child the grandmother recounts being transformed by a witch. Unexpected Transformation: Changed into a porpoise after diving into a fjord. Father: Witnessed his transformation. Family: Was on a summer holiday with them at the time. The Witches (Collective Description from Grandmother’s Accounts)
Role in the Story: The primary antagonists and hidden dangers in the world, responsible for the disappearances and transformations. Real and Present: They “were still with us” and are “all around us,” with “witches everywhere” in Norway. Malicious and Dangerous: Their actions lead to horrifying, permanent fates for children. Deceptive and Disguised: They appear as “tall ladies in white gloves” or “nice ladies” to lure children. Possess Peculiar Magic: Their powers result in bizarre transformations (into paintings, animals, stone). Subtle in Approach: They do not break into houses or climb drainpipes, suggesting their methods are less overt but still highly effective and insidious. Relationships: Their relationship to children is predatory; they are a constant, lurking threat. 
Character Profile