Bibs

Bibs is the main character in the short story “Mr. Mumsford” by Larry French. He is black and six feet tall (ll. 19-20). He has been working as a janitor at the same small southern school for 27 years (ll. 5-7). He is most likely a Christian (ll. 45-46).

Bibs is hurt and frustrated by the fact that no one at school treats him with respect. He believes the respect of being addressed by name is something everyone deserves. He knows the names of most of the students, and, therefore, he does not understand why they should not know his. Because they do not bother to learn his name, and they address him only by his nickname, he feels looked down on and disregarded as a person.

Even though he decided to kill the principal, Bibs is not comfortable with...