41 pages • 1 hour read
J.D. and the Great Barber Battle
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
J.D.
J.D. is the protagonist and first-person narrator of J.D. and the Great Barber Battle. At the outset of the novel, J.D.’s favorite activities include art and sports, and these two pursuits show that he is both individually driven and a team player. As the novel progresses, J.D.’s art talent transforms, and when he begins to develop his skill at cutting hair, this development illustrates the similarities between his various interests. As Jordan tells J.D., “You’re always good with things in your hands” (49). While J.D. is aware of his skill, he draws support from the fact that his friends also recognize his talent at the barber business, and their encouragement helps J.D. to find the resolve to stand up for what he wants and challenge Henry Jr. to the barber battle.
J.D.’s enterprising nature makes him a role model, particularly in the way he faces his fears and overcomes opposition to achieve his goals. At the same time, some aspects of his ambition become a cautionary tale. Although everything works out for J.D. in the end, the constant challenges that he faces show that he is ill-prepared for the competitive world he is entering. J.D.’s experiences therefore illustrate the importance of taking risks with the importance of understanding those risks. By the end of the story, J.D. finds a balance between meeting challenges head-on and unintentionally creating new ones. Ultimately, the story implies that quick-thinking and boldness pay off, but the conclusion also indicates that he is now focused on Facing New Challenges as They Come.
Henry Jr.
Henry Jr. is the antagonist of the novel, and he also represents the more negative aspects of The Tension between Confidence and Arrogance. Henry Jr.’s arrogant actions demonstrate the problems inherent in letting seniority dictate who has power and who is allowed to challenge that power. Hart and Son has been in business for over 50 years, and Henry Jr. took control of the business from his father, Henry Sr. This family legacy and the lack of other barbershops in town has given Henry Jr. the mistaken belief that he has a monopoly on barbering and therefore has the right to hound and harass others who enter the field. By attempting to squash J.D.’s fledgling enterprise, Henry Jr. proves that his own confidence in his position has soured and become full-blown arrogance. In reality, his sense of his own social standing in town is deeply misguided, the longevity of his family’s business depends entirely upon his customers; Hart and Son is not impervious to competition, nor does Henry Jr. have the right to prevent others in town from cutting hair. However, Henry Jr.’s arrogance keeps him from seeing this, both because he believes in his family business and because he personally feels threatened by J.D.’s emerging talent. Henry Jr.’s response to a business threat is inappropriate and shows that his arrogance has corrupted his thoughts and actions. Only after he loses the barber competition to J.D. does Henry Jr. finally realize that he is not special. By offering J.D. a fair deal to work for him, he does his best to make amends, recognizing that J.D.’s talents can benefit his business rather than hindering it. This solution works well for both characters and shows that cooperation often offers more opportunities than competition does.
Jordan
Jordan is J.D.’s best friend and confidant throughout J.D. and the Great Barber Battle. Jordan’s main role in the story is to support J.D. and to be honest with J.D. when the protagonist makes poor choices. Because Jordan has such a specific function within the plot and does not undergo any particular growth or development of his own, he remains a flat character in the narrative. From the outside, Jordan and J.D.’s friendship carries some sharp edges. For example, Jordan teases J.D. almost to the point of bullying, and this negative attention has a detrimental effect on J.D.’s outlook. However, Jordan’s thoughtless banter also embarrasses J.D. so much that he is determined to take matters into this own hands in order to fix his haircut. While bullying is never an appropriate way to treat others, J.D.’s response to this negative pressure shows his own inner strength, for he takes an unfortunate incident—the bad haircut and subsequent teasing—and creates a potentially positive outcome by fixing his hairstyle himself. It is also clear that despite Jordan’s rough personality, he truly does care about J.D., and the boys remain strong friends. As the story unfolds, Jordan helps J.D. to figure out the details of the barber battle, and he also shows up to support his friend in person. These sincere actions reveal that Jordan’s teasing is only a front that masks his true dedication to his friend’s well-being. Together, Jordan and J.D. demonstrate the fact that although friends are not always kind to one another, such behavior is not necessarily grounds for ending the relationship entirely. Because Jordan is there for J.D. when it counts, he proves the depths of his friendship, and the narrative suggests that he can eventually learn to be less judgmental and harsh.
Unlock all 41 pages of this Study GuidePlus, gain access to 8,800+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features: