Some Soul to Keep: Analysis of Major Characters
"Some Soul to Keep: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the complex lives of several female characters, each representing different struggles and resilience in the face of adversity. Superior, a strong and industrious girl, contrasts sharply with her carefree sister Jewel, who prioritizes fun over responsibility and ultimately faces loneliness and despair. Glenellen, the only white character, embodies selfishness, further emphasizing the varied backgrounds of the protagonists. The narrative also features Molly and Isobel, whose long-standing enmity transforms into understanding after personal losses reveal the deceptive nature of their relationship. Birdie’s traumatic past, marked by violence and loss, propels her to success as a bordello owner, while her deep desire for motherhood leads her to adopt the loving Reva, who faces her own hardships. Bessie, another character, rises from a life of poverty and exploitation to find love and respect, juxtaposed with Mavis, who fails to fulfill her potential due to laziness. Lastly, Christine's blindness and subsequent hardships showcase her spiritual strength and unwavering commitment to motherhood. Collectively, these characters illustrate the themes of resilience, the pursuit of identity, and the diverse experiences of women navigating societal challenges.
Some Soul to Keep: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: J. California Cooper
First published: 1987
Genre: Short fiction
Locale: The United States
Plot: Social realism
Time: The late twentieth century
Superior, the heroine of “Sisters of the Rain,” a big, strong, homely girl. Although she has below-average intelligence, she has acquired from her mother an abiding faith in education as a means of salvation from her impoverished existence. She is shy, quiet, industrious, patient, and generous. She ends up with four successful children who all enjoy supporting her in luxury. Her virtues set her off from Jewel and Glenellen, her two “sisters of the rain.”
Jewel, who in contrast to Superior is a sexy girl who “goes all the way” with boys in high school and believes in having fun while avoiding hard work and family responsibilities. She has what appears to be an exciting life with lots of male friends, but she ends up penniless, childless, and alone. Her sterile lifestyle serves as a contrast to Superior's industry and foresight.
Glenellen, the only major character in this collection of stories who is white. She is a spoiled, selfish girl.
Molly, the narrator of “The Life You Live (May Not Be Your Own).” She lives as an enemy of her next-door neighbor, Isobel, for twelve years, believing that Isobel hates her. Only after Isobel's husband dies and Molly's husband leaves her do the two women realize that they have been deceived. Realization of this deception leads Molly to resolve to lead her own life and never to trust men or to become financially or emotionally dependent on them.
Isobel, Molly's childhood friend who becomes her neighbor and is deceived into becoming her enemy.
Birdie, the narrator of “Red-Winged Blackbirds.” As a twelve-year-old, she is almost raped by the son of her father's white employer. Her parents are murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan when her father accuses the young man of attempted rape. Birdie grows up an orphan and later achieves financial success as the owner of a bordello. She is so traumatized by the rape attempt that she remains a virgin until the age of forty-six, but she longs for a child of her own. Eventually, she adopts Reva.
Reva, who is industrious, patient, kindhearted, and loving. She is described as a “Cinderella.” Reva is abused by her mother and forced to do all the dirty work. Birdie meets the girl by accident when she is fifteen years old and brings out her hidden beauty, talent, and joy of living through love and understanding.
Bessie, the protagonist of “About Love and Money.” She begins life with the handicaps of being poor, black, and ignorant. She becomes an orphan at the age of eleven and is reared by an older sister who exploits her. She learns kindness from being treated with cruelty, and she learns the virtue of hard work from being forced to lead a life of drudgery. She wins the affection of a wealthy black dentist who appreciates her strength of character and homemaking talents.
Mavis, who serves as Bessie's foil to illustrate the moral of “About Love and Money.” Mavis, Bessie's opposite, is lazy and self-indulgent. She does not even have the sense to satisfy her wealthy husband's sexual needs and consequently loses him to Bessie, her housemaid, through her own negligence. Mavis, like many of the other failures in the author's stories, never develops to her potential because she believes that the world owes her a living.
Christine, the heroine of “Feeling for Life,” the most unfortunate of all the abused and unhappy women in these five stories. She is born blind and has no one to care for her after her mother dies. Christine acquires spiritual strength from her handicap. When she becomes an unwed mother, she stubbornly refuses to give up her child and learns to do all the caretaking in spite of her blindness.