Fitzgerald in Needy Little Things: Character Analysis of the Antagonist

Overview

Fitzgerald Davis is the antagonist of Needy Little Things, a nineteen-year-old from Chefly, Georgia, who kidnaps Deja Nelson and attempts to force Sariyah Bryant to use her supernatural ability to sense people's needs for his own romantic purposes. To Sariyah and her family, Fitzgerald is a familiar figure from their hometown—her father mentions he is back in town in Chapter 12, and Sariyah speaks with him by phone at several points in the story. But Fitzgerald is not what he appears to be. He operates under the alias “Jed” when he meets Deja, and his elaborate scheme to manipulate Sariyah reveals a character driven by obsession, narcissism, and a willingness to harm innocent people to get what he wants.

Plot Role

Fitzgerald functions as the novel's primary antagonist, though his presence is felt long before his true nature is revealed. For much of the story, he appears as a helpful, friendly figure—he offers to share Deja's missing-person posts, expresses sympathy for Sariyah's situation, and even warns her that Jed cannot be trusted (Chapter 28). This is deliberate misdirection. Fitzgerald has been orchestrating events from the shadows: he posed as “Jed” to Deja, paid off Tim, and cut off Malcolm's texts to isolate Sariyah and draw her to him.

The revelation comes in Chapter 32, when Sariyah discovers Deja in a crawl space beneath Fitzgerald's house. Fitzgerald admits to sending Deja a playlist of Ella Fitzgerald's classics and writing love letters inside copies of The Great Gatsby, all under the name “Jed.” When Sariyah asks why, he answers simply: “For Crystelle, of course.” Deja sobs that her name is not Crystelle, and Fitzgerald bellows that he knows that—a moment that crystallizes his disturbing detachment from reality. He does not see Deja as a person; he sees her as a tool.

Motivations and Traits

Fitzgerald's primary motivation is winning back his ex-girlfriend Crystelle. Sariyah notes in Chapter 15 that she would have been done with Crystelle once rumors of cheating were confirmed, but Fitzgerald always seemed too caught up on that girl. His obsession is so consuming that he is willing to kidnap a teenager, attack Sariyah's father, and threaten murder to get what he needs.

His traits emerge through his actions:

• Manipulative: He creates an entire false identity—“Jed”—complete with a Facebook account and Instagram presence, to deceive Deja. He also plants Deja's burner phone on the real Jed to frame him.

• Narcissistic: He admits as much himself, saying he felt like a whole narcissist when crafting the playlist and love letters. He believes his romantic goal justifies any harm.

• Violent: He attacks Sariyah's father without hesitation, knocking him down and threatening to make his wound worse. He chokes Sariyah at the creek.

• Delusional: He seems genuinely unable to distinguish between Deja and Crystelle in his mind, even while acknowledging they are different people. He tells Sariyah he needs her ability to help him win Crystelle back, as if the kidnapping is a reasonable means to that end.

Chronological Arc

Fitzgerald's arc is revealed in reverse. Early in the novel, he is a background figure—Sariyah's father mentions he is back in town (Chapter 12), and Sariyah calls him for support (Chapter 15). He presents himself as helpful and concerned, offering to share Deja's posts and asking about her well-being. In Chapter 28, he warns Sariyah against trusting Jed, claiming Jed has a temper and cheated on his sister. This is ironic, since Fitzgerald himself is the one with a violent temper.

The truth emerges in Chapters 32–34. Sariyah discovers Deja in the crawl space, and Fitzgerald reveals his scheme: he met Deja over Christmas as “Jed,” cultivated a romantic relationship with her, and used her planned disappearance as bait. He orchestrated the entire situation—paying off Tim, cutting off Malcolm's texts—to get Sariyah to come to him. His need, which Sariyah senses, is a ring: he wants an engagement ring to propose to Crystelle.

The climax comes when Fitzgerald attacks Sariyah's father, then demands the ring from Sariyah's Santa Bag. Sariyah slashes his neck with a steel hair comb, and a violent struggle ensues. Fitzgerald chases her to a creek, catches her, and chokes her, but trips on a root and falls down an embankment. He dies with a twisted neck, the ring still in his palm. His death is ruled an accident.

Relationships

Crystelle: The unseen object of Fitzgerald's obsession. He plans to propose to her, and his entire scheme is designed to win her back. Sariyah notes that Fitzgerald forgave Crystelle for cheating, which she finds inexplicable.

Deja: Fitzgerald meets her as “Jed” over Christmas break and cultivates a romantic relationship with her. He exploits her vulnerability—she is dealing with a difficult home life and wants to escape—to use her as bait. He holds her in a crawl space, padlocked from the outside, with only snacks and water.

Sariyah: He knows her through her family, since her father knows him from Chefly. He uses their connection to gain her trust, calling her for support and offering help with Deja's case. His ultimate goal is to force her to use her ability for him.

The real Jed (Jedidiah Jones): Fitzgerald's former best friend. Fitzgerald frames Jed for Deja's disappearance, planting Deja's burner phone on him. He also tells Sariyah that Jed cheated on his sister, Ella, and has a temper—projecting his own flaws onto his victim.

Sariyah's father: Fitzgerald attacks him when he arrives at the house, knocking him down and threatening to hurt him further if Sariyah does not cooperate.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Fitzgerald's defining decision is to kidnap Deja and use her as leverage. This decision sets off a chain of events that ends in his own death. His choice to attack Sariyah's father escalates the situation and gives Sariyah the desperation she needs to fight back. His decision to chase Sariyah to the creek, rather than letting her go once he has the ring, leads directly to his fatal fall.

The consequences ripple outward: Deja is traumatized, Sariyah is hospitalized with a fractured foot and neck bruising, and Sariyah's father is injured. Fitzgerald's death, while accidental, leaves his family to grieve—though the novel does not dwell on this.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Fitzgerald embodies the novel's exploration of secrets, deception, and trust. He is a master of deception, operating under a false identity and manipulating everyone around him. His scheme also connects to the burden and ethics of supernatural need-sensing: he tries to weaponize Sariyah's ability, treating it as a tool to be exploited rather than a gift to be respected. His actions highlight the ethical questions at the heart of the novel—what happens when someone with power over others' needs uses that power selfishly?

Fitzgerald's obsession with Crystelle also touches on grief, guilt, and self-blame, though in a distorted form. His inability to move on from Crystelle's betrayal drives him to increasingly extreme actions. And his exploitation of Deja's disappearance connects to racial disparity in missing persons coverage—he understands that Deja's case will get attention, and he uses that attention to draw Sariyah to him.

The ring is Fitzgerald's central symbol. It represents his fixation on a conventional romantic ideal—marriage, commitment, a future with Crystelle—that he is utterly unworthy of. He dies clutching it, a final irony: the thing he wanted most is the thing that kills him. For more on how Fitzgerald's story concludes, see the ending explained page.

Questions and Answers

1. Why does Fitzgerald pose as “Jed” when meeting Deja?

Fitzgerald uses the alias “Jed” to hide his identity and manipulate Deja into trusting him. He meets her over Christmas break, sends her a playlist of Ella Fitzgerald's classics, and writes love letters inside copies of The Great Gatsby—all designed to make her fall for him. His goal is to use her as bait to lure Sariyah, who he believes can help him win back Crystelle.

2. What does Fitzgerald want from Sariyah?

Fitzgerald wants Sariyah to use her ability to sense people's needs to help him win back his ex-girlfriend Crystelle. Specifically, he needs an engagement ring—Sariyah senses the word “ring” repeatedly when she is near him. He believes that if he can propose to Crystelle, she will take him back.

3. How does Fitzgerald die?

Fitzgerald dies accidentally. After Sariyah slashes his neck with a steel hair comb and escapes, he chases her to a creek. He catches her, chokes her, and takes the ring, but trips on a root, drops the ring, and falls down an embankment. He is found motionless with a twisted neck, the ring still in his palm. His death is ruled an accident.

4. What is Fitzgerald's relationship to the real Jed?

The real Jed (Jedidiah Jones) is Fitzgerald's former best friend. Fitzgerald frames Jed for Deja's disappearance, planting Deja's burner phone on him. He also tells Sariyah that Jed cheated on his sister and has a temper—projecting his own flaws onto Jed to deflect suspicion.

5. Why does Fitzgerald target Deja specifically?

Fitzgerald targets Deja because she is vulnerable and accessible. She is dealing with a difficult home life—her mother takes her money for drugs—and is looking for an escape. Fitzgerald meets her over Christmas break as “Jed,” cultivates a romantic relationship, and convinces her to run away with him. He then uses her disappearance to draw Sariyah to him, knowing Sariyah will do anything to find her friend.

For more discussion of Fitzgerald and the novel's other characters, see the questions and answers page or return to the main book page.