Eddie Fulton in Summer Sons: Character Analysis

Overview: The Absent Center of Summer Sons

Eddie Fulton is the deceased best friend of protagonist Andrew Blur, and his death is the engine that drives the entire novel. Though Eddie is dead before the story opens, he is never absent: his ghost haunts Andrew, his notebooks and research litter the Nashville house he left behind, and his choices—both before and after death—shape every twist of the plot. The official ruling is suicide, but Andrew refuses to believe it, and his investigation reveals that Eddie was murdered by his academic advisor, Dr. Jane Troth, who wanted to claim the supernatural power tied to the Fulton family curse. Eddie’s legacy includes a house, a graduate program, and a fortune, all bequeathed to Andrew, as well as a hidden research project into his own family’s dark history. His ghost, a revenant, leaves frost-burn blisters and forces Andrew to relive his final moments, ultimately guiding him toward the truth and, finally, toward laying Eddie to rest.

Plot Role: The Catalyst and the Clue

Eddie’s death is the inciting incident. Andrew arrives in Nashville to retrieve Eddie’s car and handle the inheritance, but his real purpose is to uncover what happened. Eddie’s ghost appears repeatedly—first in the car, then in the house—leaving physical marks and haunting dreams that push Andrew to investigate. Eddie’s notebooks, hidden under his desk, contain cryptic notes about seeing dead people and the land as a source that must be paid. These clues lead Andrew to the Fulton family curse, to interviews with locals like the McCormicks, and eventually to Jane Troth. Eddie’s missing field notes and phone become central mysteries; their absence points to Troth’s involvement. In the climax, Andrew learns that Eddie had chosen him as the vessel for his power, and that Troth killed Eddie to steal that power for herself. After the confrontation, Andrew uses a ring—one that Eddie had left behind—to transfer Eddie’s ghost into the band, says goodbye, and throws it into a sinkhole, ending the haunting.

Motivations and Traits: Shown Through Actions

Eddie’s motivations are revealed indirectly, through his notes, his choices, and the memories Andrew experiences. He was driven by a need to understand his family’s cursed history. His research was obsessive: he conducted interviews, kept detailed journals, and pursued unorthodox avenues that impressed even Troth. He was also secretive. A private document he hid from his journals reads, “Are you losing control, my good pal? The clock is ticking and you can’t put him off for much longer,” suggesting he was aware of the curse’s effects and tried to shield Andrew from them. He lied to Andrew, keeping him away from his research and his life in Nashville, likely to protect him from the danger he sensed.

Eddie’s charisma is evident in how others remember him. Riley, his roommate, believed Eddie and Andrew were a couple, and people in Sam Halse’s circle referred to Andrew as Eddie’s boyfriend. Eddie had a “gift for pissing people off when he felt the call to assert himself,” as Andrew recalls, and he was willing to defend Andrew physically, as shown in a memory where Eddie punched a man who called Andrew a slur. These actions paint a picture of a fiercely loyal, impulsive, and intellectually restless young man who carried the weight of a family curse and tried to manage it alone.

Chronological Arc: From Inheritance to Exorcism

Eddie’s arc is nonlinear, reconstructed through Andrew’s investigation. Before the novel, Eddie’s parents died in a car accident, and he was adopted by Andrew’s parents. He and Andrew grew up together, forming a bond that others read as romantic. Eddie moved to Nashville for graduate school, where he met Riley, Sam, and Troth. He began researching the Fulton family curse, which involved a devil’s bargain and a hungry land. He discovered something significant—likely the connection to Troth’s family—and was murdered by Troth, who staged his death as a suicide.

After death, Eddie’s ghost lingers, tethered to Andrew. It appears as a cold presence, leaving frost-burn blisters and forcing Andrew to relive the murder. The ghost also guides Andrew through dreams, showing him the abandoned plantation and the cavern from his childhood. As Andrew uncovers the truth, the ghost becomes more active, culminating in the barn scene where Andrew, merged with the revenant, defeats Troth. Finally, Andrew transfers Eddie’s ghost into a ring and throws it into a sinkhole, allowing Eddie to move on.

Relationships: The Bonds That Define Him

Eddie’s relationships are central to understanding him.

Eddie’s relationship with Andrew is the most significant. He left Andrew everything, but also lied to him, creating a rift that Andrew struggles to reconcile. The ghost’s behavior—reaching for Andrew, forcing him to witness the murder—suggests a desperate need for Andrew to know the truth.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Eddie made several pivotal decisions that drive the plot.

• He chose to pursue the curse research. This decision led him to uncover the truth about his family and ultimately to his death. It also left a trail of clues for Andrew to follow.

• He hid his research and lied to Andrew. By keeping Andrew in the dark, Eddie likely hoped to protect him, but this also meant Andrew had to piece together the truth from fragments. The consequence is that Andrew’s grief is compounded by betrayal and confusion.

• He left Andrew his estate and, implicitly, his power. Troth reveals that Eddie used the ring to confirm Andrew as his chosen vessel. This decision makes Andrew a target but also gives him the means to defeat Troth and lay Eddie to rest.

• He left a ring as a final tool. The ring, which Riley takes from Sam’s house, becomes the instrument for transferring Eddie’s ghost. This decision allows for a peaceful resolution.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Eddie is the embodiment of several central themes.

• The Inherited Curse and the Hungry Land: Eddie is a Fulton, and the curse is tied to the land. His research into the curse and his eventual death are direct consequences of this inheritance. The land “gets its due,” as the McCormicks say, and Eddie is its latest victim.

• Grief as Forensic Investigation: Andrew’s investigation is a way to process his grief. Eddie’s ghost and his research become the evidence Andrew must examine to understand his loss.

• Academic Exploitation of Regional Folklore: Troth’s desire to co-opt Eddie’s research for her own career highlights the exploitative nature of academia. Eddie’s work is valuable precisely because it is unorthodox, and Troth wants to claim it.

• Repressed Queer Desire and Masculine Performance: Eddie and Andrew’s relationship is coded as romantic by others, but both men perform heteronormative masculinity. Eddie’s defensiveness and Andrew’s denial reflect the pressure to conform.

• The Revenant as Copy: Eddie’s ghost is not the real Eddie; it is a copy that retains his memories and desires but is trapped in a static moment. Andrew must learn to let go of the copy to move forward.

Questions and Answers

1. Why did Eddie leave Andrew his entire estate?

Eddie left Andrew the house, the graduate program, and a fortune because Andrew was his closest person and, as Troth later reveals, the vessel he chose to inherit his power. The estate gave Andrew the resources to investigate Eddie’s death and, ultimately, to break the curse.

1. What was Eddie researching?

Eddie was researching the Fulton family curse, a supernatural bargain involving the land and death. He conducted interviews with locals, studied genealogical records, and compiled notes on the Bell Witch legend and old state families. His research was meant to trace the origins of the curse and, possibly, find a way to end it.

1. How did Eddie actually die?

Eddie was murdered by Dr. Jane Troth, who killed him to steal the power that should have passed to her. She staged his death as a suicide, cutting his wrists and posing his body. Andrew discovers the truth through the ghost’s memories and Troth’s confession.

1. Why did Eddie lie to Andrew about his life in Nashville?

Eddie lied to keep Andrew away from the danger of the curse and his research. His private notes show he was worried about dragging Andrew into it. He also hid his relationship with Sam and his involvement with Troth, likely to protect Andrew from the truth.

1. What happens to Eddie’s ghost at the end of the novel?

After defeating Troth, Andrew uses a ring to transfer Eddie’s ghost into the band, says goodbye, and throws it into a sinkhole. This act lays Eddie to rest, ending the haunting and allowing Andrew to begin moving forward.

For further exploration, see the themes page and the ending explained.