Ralphie_Pillar

Ralphie Pillar The Importance of Ralphie in Nights Below Station Street Throughout David Adams Richards Nights Below Stations Street, Ralphie Pillar lives up to his name. In a chaotic community, Ralphie is honest and kind. He helps out so many people with his good heart and genuine personality, without even realizing it. By being himself, Ralphie emerges as the true hero in this novel. Throughout the story Ralphie displays simple acts of kindness and humanity. His gentle presence and respect for people make others feel comfortable. His relationships with his sister, Vera, his girlfriend, Adele, and her father, Joe Walsh, specifically show us his character. Vera is Ralphie’s older sister and is in her mid-twenties. Growing up she wasn’t very popular, “Vera always seemed to be alone. Ralphie would watch her coming up the lane, as a schoolgirl carrying her books in her arms, with her big round glasses fogged up and snow falling on her hair” (Richards, 92). Like many people in this novel, Vera never really felt like she fit in. She was an outsider without many friends, “she was always looking for new friends” (Richards, 92). During these years, she and Ralphie weren’t enemies, but they weren’t really close ralphie, richards, vera, joe, people, never, adele, good, always, really, new, about, very, time, love, friends, feel, family, being, without, show, ralphie’s, popular, place, own, out, one, novel, home, himself, genuine, father, everyone, doesn’t, because, around