the church he once preached at. The preacher recites a requiem poem and says that nobody knew John but God. Major characters John Buddy Pearson: The protagonist of Jonah’s Gourd Vine. John is the eldest son of Amy and the step-son of Ned. John's rise as a preacher and central figure in his community reflect his departure from his roots as the son of two poor formerly enslaved people. John's fall from this position is mostly due to an affinity for extra-marital relations. John marries three times in the novel. He proves himself to be unfaithful and has affairs with many women. Lucy Pearson: Formerly Lucy Ann Potts, the first wife of John Pearson. She is the first person John speaks to when he goes "over the big creek," he admires her intelligence and reading skills as they attend school together. Lucy supports her husband throughout the novel, guiding him through his mistakes and often serving as his conscience when he is acting immorally. Her death is a turning point in the novel and furthers the distrust growing in John's community against him. Amy Crittenden: John's mother, Ned's wife. Formerly enslaved by Alf Pearson, who fathers her first child, Amy represents the transition from slavery. She advocates for a better life for her children and feels excited about John's new opportunities when he leaves their home. Ned Crittenden: Amy's husband and John's stepfather. Ned abuses Amy, depicted in the first scene of the novel. The conflict represented between the two and between Ned and John is due to John's parentage and light skin color. Ned is a formerly enslaved person who resents the slave-holding class and is constantly impacted by his trauma. Alf Pearson: Wealthy plantation owner who used to enslave Amy. It is revealed that he is John's biological father, and he often takes up a parental role during John's time on Alf's plantation. Slavery has ended, and Alf continues to host Black people at his plantation for sharecropping labor. Alf comes to John's aid many times in the novel, providing advice and even a home for John and Lucy after they get married. Hattie Tyson: John's second wife. They have an affair while John is married to Lucy, and get married shortly after her death. She proves to be deceitful, seeking the help of a conjure woman's hoodoo practices to influence John. Hattie divorces John because he is