Characters

The most important characters in “Frida Boyelski’s Shiva” by Abigail Ulman are Frida Boyelski, as the main character, and Ruthie/Rafael Boyelski, as a secondary character. Other secondary characters that appear in the story are the people who come to visit Frida while she sits shiva: the Rabbi, Cousin Shulie, Danielle, Johanna, and Ivan. Note that the story also mentions Leah, Ruthie’s friend, and Jack, Ruthie’s boyfriend.

Frida is a developing character in the story. At the beginning, she grieves the metaphorical death of her daughter Ruthie, and she fears the changes that her family will go through. As the story develops, she is depicted as gradually accepting the idea that the future is unknown, and, consequently, her son Rafael.

Ruthie is also a developing character in the sense that, by the end of the story, she has begun her transition and presents herself as Rafael, who also has a traditionally male appearance. However, Rafael’s personality has not changed dramatically, as Frida feared.

You can read their characterisations and our discussion about the relationship between mother and daughter in the next pages.