Glenda is the main character in the short story “The Voice of The People” by Alison Moore. She is a housewife. Her husband, Dougie, works at the local factory.
From her flashbacks, we learn that she used to be an active person who was in control of her life. When the women realized there was something wrong with the emissions from the factory, she wrote the council a letter to ask for an investigation. She received no reply, so she called the council and left messages. She seemed determined and unwilling to give up.
Glenda still has some belief that active involvement will lead to change: “They would stand outside that grim building and stamp their feet and shout, make some noise. Someone would have to respond; something would have to be done.” This highlights that she is goal-oriented and determined.
Glenda is also good at motivating others. When they began to organize the protests, Glenda reminded the women of the way they protested in college: “‘When we were students, we used to march’.” The women were quickly convinced, and they met once a week to plan the protests and make the placards. She organized the women and kept track of their progress. This suggests that Glenda is a person with leadership qualities.
However, Glenda changes over the course of the story from an active, driven person into someone who lacks interest and willpower even to survive. The change is not only mental, but also physical. She does not feel hungry even though it is past lunchtime, which suggests her loss of appetite. The cashier notices a rash on Glenda’s face, and Glenda herself notices that “her eyes were the colour of dull pennies” and her eyeliner “makes her look a bit ill.” The physical changes on the surface reflect the mental changes within.
