Mrs. Caliban: Analysis of Major Characters
"Mrs. Caliban: Analysis of Major Characters" focuses on the intricate relationships and emotional struggles of its central figures, primarily Dorothy Caliban, a middle-aged housewife grappling with profound loneliness and alienation in her loveless marriage to Fred. Dorothy’s life is marked by a lack of intimacy and connection, exacerbated by Fred’s indifference and infidelity, particularly after the couple experiences the tragic loss of their only child. This emotional desolation leads Dorothy to form an unexpected bond with Larry, an amphibious creature who has escaped from captivity and embodies her longing for love and adventure. Larry, aware of human cruelty, seeks solace in his relationship with Dorothy, hoping to find both affection and understanding.
The narrative also introduces Estelle, Dorothy's best friend, whose contrasting lifestyle and experiences highlight Dorothy's plight; Estelle's simultaneous affairs and eventual losses add depth to the exploration of relationships. Lastly, Fred’s role as the unfaithful husband underscores the themes of emotional neglect and the quest for connection. This character-driven analysis invites readers to consider the complexities of love, loss, and the human condition within an unconventional narrative.
Mrs. Caliban: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Rachel Ingalls
First published: 1982
Genre: Novel
Locale: Southern California
Plot: Love
Time: The late twentieth century
Dorothy Caliban, a housewife nearing middle age and living in Southern California. Two of Dorothy's major characteristics are her alienation and her loneliness in a loveless marriage. Dorothy's outlook on life is clearly conditioned by the bleakness of her marriage. Dorothy's husband, Fred, who is haunted by the death of their only child, causes her to settle for a life of marriage in name only. The nominal aspect of the marriage is shown in Dorothy's behavior. The author emphasizes that Dorothy is absorbed in acting out the routine of marriage—for example, shopping and cooking—but receives none of its intimacy. An essential aspect of the plot is Dorothy's consciousness of the emptiness of her life, which prepares the reader for her reaction to Larry. Because of the shallowness and lack of sexual intimacy in her marriage, Dorothy is quickly attracted to Larry, a huge amphibian creature. Dorothy's attraction to Larry is a catalyst for the plot, in the sense that in her devotion to him she hides him, has an affair with him, and wants to protect him from those who would capture and punish him for killing two people at the institute from which he escaped. Furthermore, the change in Dorothy's own life during her relationship with Larry is central, because she becomes a much more romantic, fulfilled person than she has been in her sterile marriage. Her consequent openness to adventure with Larry is a main aspect of the plot.
Larry, also known as Aquarius the Monsterman, a six-foot, seven-inch amphibian creature with a froglike head, webbed hands and feet, and the body of a man. Larry, as he calls himself, is very conscious of human cruelty and has escaped from the Jefferson Institute for Oceanographic Research to avoid the abuse he has suffered at the hands of his two keepers. His desire to escape cruelty is central in moving him to love and trust Dorothy, who is kind to and protective of him. He, like Dorothy, has been alienated from his living environment and, like her, has a desire to acquire both a physical and an emotional connection with a human being. Larry's consciousness of human cruelty also disrupts his relationship with humanity. This disruption is shown in his murder of five teenagers who planned to attack him. Larry's inability to live in a world cruel to those who are different causes him to escape back to the sea.
Fred, Dorothy's unfaithful husband. Fred's indifference to his marriage to Dorothy is extremely important, as he creates the sterility to which Dorothy reacts. His affair, resulting in his lack of interest in their home life, drives Dorothy to deeper desolation. Fred's disinterest in Dorothy is prompted by her miscarriage, which followed the death of their son. Afterward, Fred is content with twin beds, emblematic of the lack of intimacy that marks the marriage. Fred uses his work to try to disguise his affair, but his motives and attitudes toward the marriage are transparent to Dorothy. It is this transparency that is a catalyst in Dorothy's desire to be involved with Larry. In the novel's climax, he and his lover die in a car crash.
Estelle, a divorcée, Dorothy's best friend and her opposite in circumstance and personality. Estelle's contrasts with Dorothy—for example, her having simultaneous affairs with two men—are underlined, especially before Dorothy's affair with Larry. Ironically, as Dorothy becomes involved with Larry, Estelle loses both of her lovers. Estelle is also more blunt and cynical than Dorothy is for much of the book, a result of having been divorced and, later, losing her son when Larry kills him.
Sandra, Estelle's sixteen-year-old daughter and Fred's lover.