James is the 17-year-old boy described in Taylor Swift’s “august” storyline.
The song is narrated from the perspective of a young woman involved in a brief summer romance with James. He is already connected to Betty, and the narrator eventually realizes that the relationship was never truly hers. Swift uses the song to explore longing, uncertainty, and the fading of a romance at the end of summer.
“August,” “Cardigan,” and “Betty” form a linked narrative on Folklore. “August” presents the perspective associated with Augustine, “Cardigan” focuses on Betty, and “Betty” gives James a first-person viewpoint. James is therefore the shared figure connecting all three songs.
The names can cause confusion because “August” is the song title, while Augustine is the commonly used name for its narrator. Rebekah is unrelated to this teenage triangle; she is the historical figure at the center of “The Last Great American Dynasty.”