Independent Study Unit- White Biting Dog by Judith Thompson
Presented by Milu Minnes

Character List and Analysis
Cape is an intensely manipulative and suicidal 26 year old man. He had been married, with a successful position as a lawyer making good money, but could not bring himself to care about any of it. He plays on the emotions and vulnerabilities of others and exploits them for his own purposes. His mother named him Sonny at birth, but Cape has since changed his name, telling her that he “got sick of the name you named me ‘cause your mind was a blank.’ ” He renames himself Cape Race, after the south-eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland. It is important to consider the history of Cape Race; although it is not fully covered in the play, the individual and the location share some interesting similarities; Cape Race is best known for its major land-based wireless station that was used in the early 20th century to relay messages to ships at sea and news telegrams to other parts of North America. The character Cape is very similar in that he relays messages back and forth between his parents. It is barren, plain and emotionless, just like its human counterpart.
Glidden is Cape’s father. He is dying from a disease contracted through his constant interaction with sphagnum moss because of his love for gardening. He is mischievous and a prankster, but has also been unassuming and kind for most of his unremarkable life, which has allowed for others to take advantage of him. He only realizes in his later years that people are constantly patronizing him and tries to deflect it. He is lost without his wife, Lomia, who has left him to seek more exciting things.
Pony is a seemingly sweet and good-natured small-town girl who seeks to do something important and special with her life. She meets Cape when she wanders away from home on a long walk and finds him distressed over his father’s state. She claims to have psychic powers and helps Cape to