The Edible Woman Characters

As we did with Jane Eyre, let's start with the main character: Marian McAlpin. She is the protagonist of the novel. She is also described as being the "coping" character. Towards the end of the novel, Marian says "I'm coping, I'm coping"...which is exactly what she does throughout the entire novel. She copes with her fiancé, her roommate, her friends...she is seen as passive, used by other people, like a pawn. You constantly view her shifting herself in order to fit the needs of those around her, until she finally breaks free at the end. As described in my previous entry, a typical heroine of Margaret Atwood novels.

The next character that I find extremely important is Duncan. He brings out a different side in Marian, and in the end, they have an affair. See, Duncan is a moody college student. He is manipulative and so wrapped up in himself and his needs that he doesn't notice much else around him. However, it is through him that Marian ends up finding herself and getting through her journey of lost identity and severed ideas. He really adds to the plot of the novel.

Another important character would have to be Ainsley Tewce. Ainsley can be described as Marian's alternate ego, or her opposite. Where Marian gets stepped on, Ainsley is determined and independent; progressive. She is manipulative and is the typical rebel. She refuses to accept her "role in society" and sets out to fulfill her own desires. Ainsley is the character that you can compare to Marian, and although she is sometimes reckless, she is definitely someone to consider.

The final character we will look at is Marian's fiancé, Peter Wollander. Marian thinks highly of him because of how he is "ordinariness raised to perfection" and because he is a lawyer whose status is quickly rising. Peter is very picky about his surroundings. His room is tidy and everything organized quite extremely. He values organization, which is why he believes him and Marian to be a good match. However, he walks all over Marian and treats her like a child and is only happy when she starts to say "whatever you say dear" or "of course you're right darling"...because he starts to feel in control of her. He is the typical stereotype male, and they have a very old time relationship. While it lasts anyways.