Joe McKennedy
Joe McKennedy is the closest friend of Charles Decker, the protagonist of Richard Bachman's novel Rage. A popular and perceptive student at Placerville High School, Joe serves as Charlie's primary social anchor and emotional support, and his friendship is a crucial counterpoint to the isolation and violence that define Charlie's life. Joe's loyalty, humor, and eventual absence during the hostage crisis underscore the tragedy of Charlie's descent, while his post-crisis letter offers the only glimpse of hope and continuity from the outside world.
Identity and Background
Joe McKennedy is a student at Placerville High School, known for his easygoing nature and ability to make friends. Charlie describes him as "a friend, the only good one I ever had," noting that Joe "never seemed afraid of me, or revolted by my weird mannerisms." Joe's social ease contrasts sharply with Charlie's isolation; Charlie observes that "because everyone liked Joe, they had to at least tolerate me." Joe is also physically present at a town meeting where a proposal to build a pavilion in front of the school is shot down, and he recounts the event to Charlie with evident enjoyment. Charlie recalls that Joe "was there, and he said they gave her nothing but a hard way to go," and that "the way Joe told it, it sounded like a real good time." This anecdote establishes Joe as a storyteller and a source of vicarious social experience for Charlie.
Friendship with Charlie Decker
Joe's friendship with Charlie is marked by loyalty and a willingness to defend him. When Charlie is humiliated and beaten by Dicky Cable at Carol Granger's birthday party, Joe intervenes, dragging Dicky off and shouting, "That's enough, goddammit! Don't you know that's enough?" After the fight, Joe puts a hand on Charlie's shoulder and suggests they leave, but Charlie, still crying and ashamed, shoves him away. Joe's protective instinct is also evident in his role as a buffer; Charlie notes that Joe would tell other kids to "lay off" him, a gesture that Charlie finds both supportive and embarrassing, as it makes him "feel like the village idiot." Despite this, Charlie's admiration for Joe is profound: "I won't say I worshiped Joe McKennedy, but it was a close thing. He was my mojo." Joe is also the one who accompanies Charlie on a weekend trip to Bangor to visit Joe's brother, Pete McKennedy, a trip that includes Charlie's first experience with marijuana and his failed sexual encounter with Dana Collette. Joe is present at the party, later seen "making out with a really stunning girl who had her hands in his mop of blond hair." This shared experience, though ultimately painful for Charlie, underscores the depth of their bond.
Role During the Hostage Crisis
Joe McKennedy is notably absent from the hostage crisis in Room 16. During the event, Charlie looks for him among the students being herded away from the school but does not see him anywhere. This absence is significant; Joe is the one person who might have been able to reach Charlie or alter the course of events. Later, when the class listens to a radio report listing the hostages, Charlie reflects that he didn't expect Joe to show up, thinking, "Circuses have never been our style." This remark suggests a shared understanding between them, a recognition that Joe would not be drawn to the spectacle of violence.
Post-Crisis Correspondence
After Charlie is institutionalized at Augusta State Hospital, Joe writes him a letter dated December 5, 1976. The letter is warm, personal, and filled with news from Placerville. Joe reports that he is now a student at Boston University, taking sixteen hours of courses, and that he received an A on an exam for a book called The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain. He mentions that he is thinking about majoring in English, adding, "Must be your influence. And you were always the brains of the combination." Joe also relays that he saw Charlie's mother before leaving Placerville and that she said Charlie was "just about all healed up" and that the last of the drains were out three weeks ago. He expresses concern that Charlie isn't talking much, writing, "It would sure be a loss to the world if you clammed up and just scrunched in a corner all day." The letter includes updates on other classmates: Sandra Cross decided not to go to college and is "just sort of hanging around"; Carol Granger's valedictory speech was reprinted by Seventeen magazine; Irma Bates is dating a "hippie" from Lewiston and was arrested in a demonstration; and Grace Stanner is getting married. Joe also mentions that he dated Sandra a couple of times the previous summer, but she seemed "kind of distant." He closes with a promise: "And if they start letting you have visitors, I want you to know that I will be the first in line." The letter is signed "With love, your friend, (Joe McK)." This correspondence is the only direct communication from the outside world that Charlie receives in the novel, and it serves as a poignant reminder of the life he has lost.
Thematic Significance
Joe McKennedy represents the possibility of normal, healthy human connection that Charlie is ultimately unable to sustain. His loyalty, humor, and perceptiveness make him a foil to the authoritarian figures—Charlie's father, Principal Denver, and the police—who fail to understand or help Charlie. Joe's absence during the crisis and his subsequent letter highlight the tragedy of Charlie's isolation: even the one person who truly cared for him could not prevent the violence. Joe's final words, "People haven't forgotten. You know what I mean," suggest that the events of that day have left a lasting impact on the community, and that Charlie, despite everything, is still remembered with affection by at least one person.
