Grandmother
In many of Jaki Green's poems, a grandmother figure is one of the characters. Often, the grandmother is a protagonist, but sometimes she is an antagonist, as in the poem, "I Knew the Grandmother One Had Hands". Here the grandmother is only portrayed as an antagonist through the eyes of the narrator, because grandmother does not spend enough time with her. However, grandmothers are an important part of youth and growing up, and provide a sense of wisdom for a younger generation.
Narrator of "I Know the Grandmother One Had Hands"
This narrator appears to be a young girl that does not completely understand the ways of the world. Constantly complaining that her grandmother does not spend enough time with her, she does not realize that her grandmother has to work to have enough money to feed the family and keep the house clean. This level of immaturity, although sometimes obnoxious, shows a laughable sense of innocence.
Narrator of "Who Will be the Messenger of This Land"
This narrator appears to be an older, wiser woman, who asks readers who will be the messenger of what appears to be a newly found land. At first, she does not take initiative to divide and conquer the land that she describes as being so beautiful, but, as the poem goes on, she begins to realize that maybe no one else will either. Describing with many details the image of land, this narrator serves simply as an escort for the beauty of nature.
