¶ … Undone" by Wally Lamb. Specifically, it will contain a summary of every character in the book. The characters in "She's Come Undone" are memorable, and each one of them has their own quirks that keep them in the reader's mind long after the book is finished.
Dolores Price -- Dolores is the main character in the novel, and so, she is the character most detailed and most understood by the reader. The novel follows Dolores' life from the age of 13, to around the age of 40, so her character is also the one that develops the most during the novel, and the one who grows and changes most dramatically. Dolores has conquered her daemons, and her psychological prognosis is good. By the end of the book, she has turned her life around, and she has successfully made herself a "new woman," and even though she cannot have a baby, it is clear her prognosis is good, and she will not revert back to her old, destructive ways. Despite her problems, there is something about Dolores that is extremely likable. The reader wants her to succeed, because her life has been such a mess. Dolores grows up as she takes care of Roberta and Mr. Pucci, and in loving them, she finally gives herself permission to let go of her past, and love Thayer, which makes her whole, complete, and happy. Not because she has a man, but because she has herself.
Dolores' Mother -- Dolores' mother is mentally ill, and goes to a mental institution, leaving her daughter to live with Grandma Holland. Before she "deserts" Dolores, just like her father has done, she enables Dolores' weight gain by providing her with her favorite foods, like Mallomars, that she stuffs herself with while she watches television. Her mother is never the same after she loses the baby, and as the years go on, and Tony leaves, she gradually loses her grip on reality. She pushes Dolores away as she grows older, and she is emotionally needy, like a child herself. She does not understand how she drove her husband away, and she deserts her daughter just as effectively by having a nervous breakdown and then dying. She loves her daughter, and wants what is best for her, but does not quite know how to accomplish it. She changes during the book,...
From these three individuals, she is able to understand herself more as an individual, eventually realizing that she cannot be Dolores without these individuals. In effect, each individual acts as an inevitable part of Dolores's whole personality. Dolores as the victim: Projections of victimization from her mother In the novel, Dolores's mother became the embodiment of the female victim: she was not only abused by her husband, but was portrayed as
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