Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses police violence and ableism against people with sight loss.

Sammy Samuels is the unreliable protagonist of How Late It Was, How Late. His character is a complex and multifaceted exploration of the condition of the Scottish working class in a period marked by austerity politics. Sammy’s journey throughout the narrative is a lens through which the novel examines adversity, resilience, and the search for stability.

One of Sammy’s most significant character traits is his resilience in the face of adversity. From the very beginning of the novel, he finds himself in a dire situation, discovering his sight loss in a police cell with no recollection of how he got there. Despite this obstacle, Sammy persists in his quest to navigate the world as a person with a disability and to seek accommodation for his condition. His unwavering determination to make his way in the world represents working-class resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.

Another important character trait of Sammy is his sense of defiance and cynicism toward authority figures and societal institutions. He harbors a deep mistrust of the police, which stems from his belief that they are violent and corrupt.