Characterisation of other characters
In what follows, we will point out the characteristics of Debbie and Julie's parents from “Debbie and Julie” by Doris Lessing. The American man, the Lebanese man, the other girls, Aunt Jessie and her family are secondary or absent characters and only appear in Julie’s flashbacks. They are relevant for the overall social setting of the short story.
Debbie
Debbie is an absent character in the short story, and she is only depicted through Julie’s perspective and flashbacks.
Outer characterisation
Her outer characterisation presents her as a prostitute — she runs an illegal business where she receives her clients and where a man deals drugs (p. 90, ll. 28-35). Physically, Debbie is a “big girl” (p. 90, l. 9), older than Julie but still attractive:
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Inner characterisation
Debbie’s inner characterisation is conveyed through what Julie recalls about her. The fact that Debbie took Julie in and protected the teenager without asking for anything in return, suggests that Debbie genuinely wanted to help Julie: “…remembering all the feasts she had had with Debbie, the pizzas that arrived all hours of the day and night…” (p. 103, ll. 12-14)
According to Julie’s flashbacks, Debbie did not only give Julie a place to stay and food but also kept her pregnancy hidden and protected her from the others in the apartment, making sure that Julie was not taken for a prostitute.
Julie also recalls that Debbie was intimate with her, that she would barge in when Julie was talking a bath, and that they would sleep in the same bed. These memories also suggest that Debbie might have been attracted to Julie: “Julie waited for ‘something’ to happen. Nothing ever did. Just once Debbie put her hand down to touch the mound of Julie’s stomach, but took it quickly away.” (p. 106, ll. 24-26)
Debbie also teaches Julie that everything in life has a cost, a harsh reality of which Julie was not aware when she was living with her parents:
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Julie’s parents
We will analyse Julie’s parents – Anne and Len—together as they share many common traits, according to Julie’s perspective.
Outer characterisation
According to their outer characterisation, they probably belong to the middle-class (the big house they own), and they are old:
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Inner characterisation
In terms of inner characterisation, Julie’s father is the type of man who takes commands from his wife, which suggests he is more submissive than her mother. Julie’s mother comes across as obsessed with order and precision, and as a housewife:
She knew that what had been on those plates was exactly calculated, not a pea or a bit of potato left over. The next proper meal (lunch, tomorrow) would already be on a plate ready to cook, with a plastic film over it, in the fridge. (p. 100, ll. 35-38)
Both parents cry when they see Julie after five months of absence, which suggests that, contrary to Julie’s expectations, they do care for her:
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