Hanson (the Angel) in Red Side Story: Character Analysis

Overview: The Angel Who Wields the Mildew and the Truths It HidesHanson is a member of the Previous, the advanced race that built Chromatacia on the ashes of an older world. In Red Side Story, he appears first as an Inspector, then as an Angel—a title that carries both religious and administrative weight. He is the one who administers the Mildew, the memory-wiping agent that erases disruptive citizens, and he is also the one who, in a moment of reluctant candour, reveals the true nature of the Reserve to Eddie and Jane. Hanson is not a simple villain. He is a functionary with a conscience, a man who apologises for his work even as he carries it out, and who offers fragments of forbidden knowledge as a parting gift to those he is about to erase. His role in the novel is to embody the machinery of control—and to show how even that machinery can crack under the weight of its own secrets. For a deeper look at how the colour hierarchy enforces this control, see the theme analysis of engineered social control.## Role in the Plot: From Inspector to AngelHanson's presence in the story is episodic but pivotal. He first surfaces as an Inspector, a role that allows him to move through Chromatacia without raising suspicion. Later, in Chapter 22, he appears as the Angel who has tracked Eddie and Jane to the town hall. He has come to administer the Mildew, having been ordered to do so because the pair have learned too much. But instead of simply erasing them, he engages in a conversation that becomes a confession. He explains that the swans are drones, that the barcodes on their fingers are tracking devices, and that the entire society is an experiment—a controlled study of a population that believes itself to be living under divine rule. He even reveals their serial numbers, reducing them to data points: Eddie is HE-315-PJ7A-M, Jane is JK-768-OY9K-F. This moment is the novel's turning point, because it gives Eddie and Jane the information they need to escape. They survive the Mildew by feigning death, and they use the access code they glimpsed when Hanson keyed it in to open an escape door. Hanson's decision to answer their questions, even briefly, is what allows the truth to spread. Later, in Chapter 44, Hanson is implicated in the destruction of East Carmine, a culling ordered because the town had become 'mildly troublesome.' In Chapter 37, he is responsible for the fire that kills Mr Pink, a demonstration that the Angels will strike swiftly if they suspect anyone has survived. These later appearances show Hanson as a dutiful agent of the Creator, but also as someone who operates from a distance, safe in the 'Somewhere Else' that Eddie cannot reach.## Motivations and Traits: Duty, Guilt, and a Glimmer of ConscienceHanson's primary motivation is obedience to the Rules and to his superiors. He tells Eddie and Jane that the rules are 'very specific' and that he has no choice but to administer the Mildew. Yet his behaviour is marked by a persistent, almost theatrical regret. He apologises repeatedly, says that the task 'will weigh on my conscience,' and even offers to do something for them before they are 'put to sleep.' This is not the cold efficiency of a true zealot; it is the discomfort of a man who knows his work is morally dubious but feels powerless to refuse it. His traits emerge through his actions. He is knowledgeable, able to explain the drone system and the barcode tracking with technical precision. He is also careless in a way that proves fatal to his mission: he keys in the access code where Eddie and Jane can see it, and he talks too much, admitting that the experiment is invalidated if the Rulebook is altered. This carelessness suggests a subconscious desire to be caught, or at least to let the truth slip out. He is also capable of genuine sentiment. When Eddie and Jane thank him for giving them twenty extra minutes of life, he is 'visibly moved.' He calls them 'such nice people.' This emotional response complicates his role as an agent of death. He is not a monster; he is a man doing a monstrous job, and he knows it.## Chronological Arc: From Agent to Instrument of DestructionHanson's arc is not one of personal growth but of escalating involvement in the system's violence. In Chapter 22, he is a hands-on executor, personally delivering the Mildew. He is also a source of information, however reluctantly. By Chapter 37, he has become a remote operator, ordering a drone strike that incinerates Mr Pink from the sky. The shift from personal contact to remote killing mirrors the dehumanisation that the system requires. In Chapter 44, he is the architect of East Carmine's culling, a decision made not because the town had done wrong but because it had become 'mildly troublesome.' Eddie reflects that Hanson is 'safe in the Somewhere Else' and that his actions would not be considered a crime. This arc shows Hanson moving from a conflicted individual to a faceless functionary, yet the earlier moments of guilt remain in the reader's memory, suggesting that the system corrupts even those who feel its weight.## Relationships: The Angel, the Subjects, and the CreatorHanson's relationship with Eddie and Jane is the most developed. He treats them with a strange respect, acknowledging their intelligence and their courage. He tells them that 'few ever get as far as you have, nor know as much at so young an age.' He also gives them a gift—the truth—even though it is a truth that will doom him if they survive. This creates a bond of mutual, if unwilling, understanding. Eddie and Jane, for their part, use his information against him. They memorise his access code, they feign death, and they escape. Their relationship is adversarial but tinged with a strange courtesy. Hanson's relationship with the Creator, Utopiainc, is one of subservience. He refers to the Creator's orders as absolute, and he cannot alter the Rulebook without invalidating the experiment. He is a middle manager of divine will. There is also a hint of a personal connection to Jacqueline Hanson, the woman whose identification tag Eddie finds in Chapter 10. Eddie speculates that 'Hanson was an Angel who fell to earth accidentally and who met their own death rather than meting it out to others.' This suggests that the name Hanson carries a legacy of defiance, though the novel leaves the exact relationship ambiguous. It is possible that the Angel Hanson is a descendant or a namesake, but the text does not confirm it.## Key Decisions and Consequences: The Cost of a Moment of MercyHanson's most consequential decision is to answer Jane's questions before administering the Mildew. He could have simply erased them, but he chose to explain the experiment, the drones, and the barcodes. This decision gives Eddie and Jane the knowledge they need to survive and to eventually escape to the Union of Federated States. It also plants the seed of rebellion that grows throughout the novel. His second key decision is to follow orders and cull East Carmine. This decision leads to the deaths of many, including Lucy's Grey boyfriend and other characters. Eddie's anger at Hanson is palpable, but he also recognises that Hanson is merely following orders from a higher authority. The consequence is that Eddie and Jane's resolve to expose the truth is strengthened. Finally, Hanson's decision to order the drone strike on Mr Pink shows that he will not tolerate survivors. This act of violence, carried out from a distance, demonstrates that the system's reach is absolute—and that Hanson, despite his earlier guilt, is willing to kill to protect the experiment.## Themes and Symbolism: The Angel as a Tool of Suppressed KnowledgeHanson embodies the theme of suppressed knowledge and the cost of truth-seeking. He is the gatekeeper of information, deciding what the subjects of the Reserve may know. His role as an Angel is deeply ironic: he brings not salvation but erasure, and his 'wings' are the drones that track and kill. He also represents the theme of coercion, consent, and bodily autonomy. The Mildew is administered without consent, and the barcodes on the subjects' fingers are a form of involuntary surveillance. Hanson's own lack of autonomy—his inability to refuse orders—mirrors the powerlessness of the subjects he controls. In this sense, he is both oppressor and oppressed, a cog in a machine that grinds everyone equally. His name, 'Hanson,' may be a nod to the idea of 'hand's son' or a reference to the historical figure, but the novel does not clarify. What is clear is that Hanson is a symbol of the system's ability to turn even the reluctant into instruments of harm. For more on how the system suppresses identity, see the theme of identity, naming, and self-determination.## Questions and Answers1. Why does Hanson give Eddie and Jane information before administering the Mildew?

Hanson offers answers because Jane asks for them as a final request, and he is 'visibly moved' by their acceptance of their fate. He also seems to feel genuine guilt about his role, and providing information is a way to ease his conscience. The information he gives—about drones, barcodes, and the experiment—is not meant to be recalled, but it becomes the key to their survival.2. How does Hanson's behaviour in Chapter 22 reveal his internal conflict?

He apologises repeatedly, says the task 'will weigh on my conscience,' and calls Eddie and Jane 'such nice people.' He also admits that he will 'get into a bit of trouble from my superiors' for giving them answers. These actions show a man who is uncomfortable with his duty but feels powerless to refuse it. His carelessness with the access code suggests a subconscious desire to let them escape.3. What does Hanson's role in the destruction of East Carmine tell us about the system?

It shows that the system will cull entire towns for being 'mildly troublesome,' not for any actual wrongdoing. Hanson is merely the instrument of this decision, acting on orders from above. Eddie reflects that Hanson is 'safe in the Somewhere Else' and that his actions would not be considered a crime, highlighting the moral vacuum at the heart of the experiment.4. How does Hanson's use of drones and barcodes relate to the theme of surveillance?

The drones track subjects by line of sight, and the barcodes provide identification data. This is a form of constant, involuntary surveillance that keeps the population in check. Hanson is the operator of this surveillance, and his ability to strike from the sky—as with Mr Pink—demonstrates the system's total control over life and death.5. Is Hanson a villain or a victim of the system?

Hanson is both. He is a villain in that he carries out lethal orders without ultimately refusing them, but he is also a victim of the same system that controls the subjects. He has no autonomy to alter the Rulebook, and he is subject to superiors who direct his actions. His guilt and his moments of mercy complicate any simple judgment, making him a tragic figure caught between duty and conscience. For a broader view of the novel's ending and Hanson's ultimate fate, see the ending explained and the questions and answers.