Norman McFinger

Norman Alistair McFinger is the main protagonist, title character and narrator in all Norman McFinger books.

Background
Norman was born in Australia to Richard 'Dick' McFinger and Dad McFinger, and is the older brother of Sister McFinger. He takes his middle name, Alistair, from his grandfather. During his teenage years he and his family went on several overseas vacations, most notably to Easter Island, where the family later permanently relocated to.

Appearances in the books
The Adventures of Norman McFinger opens with the McFinger family on their Christmas holiday on Easter Island. Norman is in the aftermath of an identity crisis, rediscovering his "true identity". The family's tourist activities included horse riding and visiting some of the famous Moai statues. A horse that Norman rides is injured during the traverse, and he is forced to euthanise it.

Personality
Norman is likely bipolar. He is unhinged and impulsive, taking just two sentences in the first book to murder a baby; however, he is compassionate and thoughtful for the interests of Steve and his window-cleaning business moments later. Although he is naïve, he is protective of those who may be marginalised, standing up for Yut when he believes his sister his behaving in a racist manner towards him.

He seems to be unintimidated by most people who antagonise him, even if they would be frightening to most people, showing his bravery. One of the few characters that he is afraid of is his aunt Susan, whose large figure and aggressive behaviour terrifies the entire McFinger family. He is also made to appear cowardly when he refrains from confronting the communist surgeons who are snacking on his detached nipples, instead fleeing from the practice. However, he strongly stands up to a donkey who attempts to sexually assault him, showing his awareness of boundaries and self-preservation. He is a neat-freak, refusing to continue using his bedroom after the donkey explodes in it, even after he thoroughly cleans the remains.

He is a vegan, embracing the lifestyle due to him believing that it is a "life choice to not die at the age of 21, but instead die as a newborn."

He believes that he has grown up to be a failure, disappointing his family, but embraces this lifestyle by pursuing several outlandish goals. Norman has an extensive knowledge of history and art, although his knowledge of classic literature is very limited, confusing novelist Charles Dickens for the title of a book. His first words were allegedly "used cars", showing that he has a longtime fascination with automobiles. His favourite film is National Treasure and its sequels, and his favourite actor is Nicolas Cage. He possesses a sixth sense which he refers to as 'Eagle Vision' that allows him to easily distinguish his physical objectives within the surrounding area.

As the narrator of all of the character's individual stories, he shows his great ability to listen and absorb information during conversations with strangers. The long, detailed stories he tells shows the genuine interest he has in the stories of others. He is loquacious in that he tends to ramble on about his inner thoughts. He served as the host of the short lived game show 'Pimp My Hobo' which broadcasted an unsuccessful pilot on the Hobo Channel, showing his innate charisma.