American Gods

Main Characters and Their Development

• Shadow - the main character who is released from prison and gets caught up in the conflict between old and new gods. Throughout the journey, he transforms from a broken man to someone who begins to understand the deeper aspects of faith and his own identity.
• Wednesday - a mysterious trickster who hires Shadow as a bodyguard. He is actually one of the old gods, trying to rally other old gods to fight against the new gods. Wednesday is charismatic and skilled at manipulating those around him to achieve his goals.
• Laura - Shadow's wife, who dies in a car accident the day before his release from prison. She returns to life as an undead to help and protect Shadow. During her undead existence, Laura seeks redemption for her sins and the true meaning of her love for Shadow.
• Czernobog - one of the old gods, representing a Slavic god of death and destruction. Initially hostile towards Shadow and Wednesday, he eventually builds a relationship with them and becomes part of their quest.
• Mr. World - the antagonist of the story, he is the leader of the new gods, such as the gods of the internet, media, and technology. He aims to eliminate the old gods, convinced that there is no place for them in the new world.