41 pages • 1 hour read
Raven LeilaniLuster
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Edie
An aspiring artist, 23-year-old Edie struggles to navigate life as a Black woman in a predominately White society. The child of an unstable marriage, Edie is an orphan whose discovery of her mother’s body at 16 years old has scarred her and stunted her emotionally. Her mother’s death and her father’s neglect lead Edie to explore a relationship with an older man, which results in a pregnancy. Edie’s abortion haunts her seven years later as she continues to seek recognition and attention in the form of spontaneous sexual experiences, which leave her unsatiated. Isolated, Edie feels disconnected from those around her and seeks out relationships with older men who abandon her.
This pattern leads Edie to Eric, who is 23 years her senior. The two fall into a pattern of violent sexual escapades. After Eric abandons her, Edie once again obsesses over her older lover and is confronted by his wife, Rebecca, who seeks out Edie repeatedly. Through Rebecca’s care and attention, Evie begins to paint again successfully after deserting her art in the aftermath of her distant father’s death. Evie grows into a mentor figure for Akila, Rebecca and Eric’s adopted Black daughter, and matures as she begins to overcome her chaotic past. She miscarries her and Eric’s child and, through the help of Rebecca, finds herself on her own again in Brooklyn, ready to embark on a new chapter.
Eric
A 46-year-old digital archivist, Eric begins an affair with Edie while in an open relationship with his wife, Rebecca. He attempts to follow the strict guidelines Rebecca sets for him, but as his and Edie’s encounters grow more violent and more sexual, Eric rebels against Rebecca. After discovering that Rebecca has invited Edie to live in his home, Eric attempts to balance his relationship with his wife and his young lover. He grows increasingly reliant upon drugs and alcohol throughout the process. His ambivalence towards Edie makes his feelings towards her unclear. After Edie tells him that she did not ever like him, Eric fades into the background as his wife becomes a support system for Edie. Throughout the novel, he serves as a representation of Edie’s father, with whom she experienced neglect and indifference.
Rebecca
A medical examiner, Rebecca is blunt and unafraid of confrontation. She enjoys the exploratory nature of her job and does not avoid difficult conversations. Before meeting Edie officially in Chapter 3, she makes her presence known through the control she exerts over her husband and their open relationship. Upon first meeting Edie, she does not express anger or resentment but rather curiosity. She invites Edie to discover the intimate aspects of her work as a medical examiner and into her home. She provides for Edie throughout Edie’s time living with the family and encourages Edie to work on her craft. Despite Eric’s claim that she never wanted to adopt, Rebecca demonstrates a maternal instinct for both Akila and Edie. Without hesitation, Rebecca cares for Edie as she heals from her miscarriage. Rebecca’s unrelenting control over her body reminds Edie of her own mother, and she steps into a maternal role seamlessly throughout the novel.
Akila
The 12-year-old adopted child of Eric and Rebecca, Akila originally hails from Louisiana, where she survived a hurricane that killed her mother. She has lived with Eric and Rebecca for two years and keeps to herself in her room. She has become accustomed to donning colorful wigs to cover up the fact that she does not know how to care for her own hair. Afraid of losing the stable home life she has finally found, Akila at first resents Edie’s entrance into their home. Soon, Akila begins to rely on Edie to teach her how to care for her hair and how to traverse life as a Black woman. They grow close and survive a traumatic experience with law enforcement that awakens Akila to the reality of her life as a Black person in America.
