A Spinster’s Tale (Characters)

Characters

Betsy

See Elizabeth

Brother

Elizabeth’s brother is intelligent and kind. In one scene with incestuous overtones, Elizabeth hugs her brother in her bedroom, crying but also wishing that he would strike her. He tells Elizabeth that she will get used to Mr. Speed “for all his ugliness.”

Elizabeth

The narrator of the story, Elizabeth is an elderly spinster recalling her adolescent years. As a youth she lived with her brother and father in a comfortable, large house. She is also repulsed by, but strangely obsessed with, the town drunk, Mr. Speed.

Various critical readings exist regarding Elizabeth: first, she is searching for a feminine maternal presence in her life; second, that the grotesque Mr. Speed introduces the harshness of adult life to young Elizabeth; third, Elizabeth’s only view of sexuality comes from intimidating male figures. All of these readings, and others, imply that the events of these critical years cause Elizabeth to become a spinster later in life.

Father

A widower, Elizabeth’s father is an important male presence; she feels affection for him yet connects him with the grotesque Mr. Speed. In the end, Elizabeth’s father is displeased with his daughter’s decision to turn Mr. Speed over to the police.

Lucy

Lucy is the African-American housekeeper at Elizabeth’s house. She also appears at the critical moment of the story’s conclusion, pleading with Elizabeth to stay away from Mr. Speed. Elizabeth defies Lucy and chooses to confront him, suggesting that perhaps Mr. Speed and Lucy represent opposite emotions, such as security and fear.

Narrator

See Elizabeth

Old Speed

See Mr. Speed

Mr. Speed

Although he never speaks an entire sentence, Mr. Speed is nonetheless a critical character in this story. He intimidates and repulses the young Elizabeth, and she is alarmed to find similarities between Mr. Speed and her brother and father. The story’s climax occurs when he bursts into Elizabeth’s house. She calls the police, and he is arrested.

Mr. Speed may represent many things to Elizabeth, among them masculinity, the consequences of alcoholism, and the deterioration of Southern society. Even his name suggests that he “speeds” Elizabeth’s maturation or “speeds” her toward some unpleasant sexual initiation or toward spinsterhood.