Ginny

Outer characterization

Ginny is the main character in the short story “Nairobi” by Joyce Carol Oates. The events and the other characters are seen through her eyes. Ginny is a young woman whose age and physical description can be gradually discovered from several clues throughout the story.

Since she believes Oliver to be 34 and that seems “ ‘old’ to her in certain respects” (l. 126), we can guess that she is in her twenties. From the remark that “salesclerks saw too many beautiful young women to be impressed” (l. 9) by Ginny, we can assume that Ginny is, or believes herself to be, good-looking. She is also tall, as shown by the fact that she is taken aback when she notices that Marguerite Crews is “so tall a woman – taller even than Ginny” (l. 148). Ginny has green eyes (ll. 21-22) and straight, shoulder-length (l. 223), chestnut-red hair (l. 11). She combs her bangs low on her forehead (l. 28), which makes her look like a “convent schoolgirl” (l. 29), according to Oliver. Before getting dressed in the clothes Oliver chose for her, she wore a denim jumper and a sweater (l. 235), as well as “chunky-heeled red shoes” (ll. 55-56). Several clues in the story suggest that Ginny might be a model or an actress. 

Inner characterization

Ginny’s social status is not revealed, but we can assume that it is probably lower-...