Adam of the Road

Adam is the protagonist of the book, and the story is mostly told through his point of view. He is the only round and dynamic character, developing throughout the story. The novel directly characterizes Adam as well-liked because he is fun-loving, tells fun stories, and sings well. Vining describes him as “tousle-headed and snub-nosed, wide-mouthed and square-jawed,” with “gray eyes [that] were honest and twinkling” (15). Adam’s kindness and generosity are evident in many of his actions: He always saves part of his meal for Nick (18), shares his warhorse with the other boys at Sir Edmund’s estate (73), and uses the last of his money to buy the de Vesey family a meal (231).

As a typical hero and coming-of-age protagonist, Adam is framed as innately good and kind. However, at the start of the book, Adam is also naive. Because he sees the world as good and fair, he is shocked at others’ dishonorable behavior when he encounters injustice. For example, Adam is angry when Daun William is robbed and kidnapped, particularly because the crime is committed by a knight in violation of his honor code: “Robbers. Stopping a good merchant who was going about his business without harming anybody! A knight, who had vowed to be chivalrous and protect the weak! Somebody ought to go after them” (172-73). He presumes someone else will save Daun William and the other men before realizing that he is the only one who escaped, so he must be that “someone” and enlist the bailiff’s aid in the rescue. Similarly, Adam doesn’t like the stories the de Vesey family tells, calling them “short, exaggerated tales mostly making rude jokes”; he prefers the stories Roger told, which “fitted the good in people” (238).

His perseverance and determination to find Nick and Roger show that Adam is brave and strong-willed. Many 11-year-olds would be too afraid to set off on their own against the dangers and precarious circumstances of the road, but Adam confidently travels around England, often alone, to find his dog and his father. Adam’s bravery is evident when he runs from the robbers in the king’s forest (170), boldly approaches the bailiff (182), and rides with the bailiff and his men to find the robbers (183).

Adam changes over the course of the story. He starts as a naive boy but learns to think for himself and test the people in his life to see if they are good and trustworthy. For example, though Adam initially likes Jankin because Jankin was friendly to his dog (91), he quickly recognizes that Jankin is not trustworthy and learns to test what he sees and hears rather than relying on superficial judgments (275). He figures out who he is and what he wants, and he remains focused on his goals of finding Nick and Roger and becoming a minstrel. In the process of learning these things, Adam becomes a man and earns the respect of his father (316).