Characters

The story “Eating Sugar” by Catherine Merriman features several characters: the British family – Alex, Eileen, and Suzanne—and the four Tha…

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Alex

Alex is the main character in the short story. This is suggested by the fact that the narrative follows only his perspective on the events. His characterisation is conveyed mostly indirectly—through actions and thoughts—but also directly, through his daughter’s statements about him.

His outer characterisation informs us that he is married to Eileen and has a daughter Suzanne who works in Thailand. He is from Wales (p. 20, ll. 12-13) and is vacationing with his wife in Thailand, to visit their daughter.

Inner characterisation

Alex’s inner characterisation focuses on the man’s attitude towards his surroundings and his circumstances, but also towards his family and the four Thai men.

Although, as a young man, Alex used to be daring and trustful (trying LSD, travelling through Europe), as a middle-aged man he has become anxious, fearful, and unwilling to step outside his comfort zone. Here is how he remembers his youth: “She had taken a tab of LSD—as he himself had done— and was having a bad, deeply anxious, few minutes. There was a myth during those days that sugar was me…

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Other characters

Suzanne, Eileen, and Wirut are three other characters which help convey different attitudes to the circumstances the characters are in and who are portrayed in contrast with Alex.

Eileen

Eileen is Alex’s wife and Suzanne’s mother. She is similar to Alex in various respects: like Alex, she enjoyed a wilder youth, taking LSD and travelling across Europe; and like Alex, she is now anxious and fearful about stepping outside her comfort zone. However, unlike Alex, Eileen does not pretend to be calm; she is open about her fears, frustrations, and possibly xenophobia: “Eileen found Thailand st…