American Gods - Character

The main character of American Gods, Shadow, is first introduced while he is in prison. He is described as a large quiet man of an unknown race. The audience is not given details of his features, or insight into the inner workings of his mind. After he is released from prison, he starts out on a pre-destined path that whisks him across the nation in preparation for a war of the gods. Through all of …

…understand that Shadow has no choice but to continue his journey. His little described features become a blank slate in which the reader can shape into the person they would relate to most. Shadow’s personality is subject to interpretation, and each individual reader has a different concept of who Shadow is. Gaiman has made it so that there is no right or wrong answer for the Shadow. He is what the reader makes him.