Desperate Characters

Desperate Characters (1970), a classic novel by Paula Fox, tells the story of an unhappily married couple who rediscover their love for each other after a catalog of small disasters. The book was heralded as one of the best examples of Post-War American literature. A popular American author for adults and children, Fox received the 1974 Newbery Medal and the 1978 Hans Christian Andersen Medal among others. She worked full-time as a writer and attended Columbia University. Her granddaughter is the controversial musician Courtney Love.

Desperate Characters is set in 1960s Brooklyn, New York. The main characters are an affluent, middle-aged German couple, Otto and Sophie Bentwood. The story is narrated from Sophie’s perspective.

Sophie stays at home all day while Otto works in the city as an influential, highly sought-after attorney. Sophie finds her life boring and feels her husband is not interested in her anymore. All he does is think about work. Sophie has a casual job working as a book translator, but it’s not enough to fill the void. Meanwhile, their neighborhood is deteriorating, and she no longer feels safe at home. Otto is too wrapped up in his own life to hear her concerns.



One day, Sophie finds a stray cat outside and feels sorry for it. Otto tells her to ignore it because it will come back all the time. Looking for companionship, Sophie offers it food, but she gets too close to it, and it bites her hand. Sophie is terrified because the cat looks like it’s been on the street for some time and it might be rabid. However, she refuses to go see a doctor. She treats the wound at home using only the barest first-aid kit. Although she knows the wound is getting worse, and it is only a matter of time before it turns septic, she can’t deal with it.

The wound is symbolic of Sophie’s relationship with Otto. They both know that their relationship is toxic and only getting worse, but neither of them wants to talk about it. The wound, which is potentially life-threatening, is symbolic of Sophie’s determination to cling onto a hopeless life that makes her unhappy.

Meanwhile, Otto forgets all about the wound. If Sophie isn’t prepared to visit the hospital, then her cut can’t be serious. Instead of worrying about his wife, all Otto wants to do is brood about a fight he had with a partner at his firm, Charlie Russell. Charlie is impulsive and hotheaded, and Otto finds him difficult to deal with. However, they are good friends, and Otto regrets their recent argument.



Sophie is dumbfounded that Otto shows such little interest in her wound. She wants to get his attention to make him notice her. She’s almost tempted to tell him about a recent affair she had, but she decides against it. She doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of hating her. Instead, Sophie realizes that their marriage might well be over.

As the days go by, Sophie amuses herself with her friends, her book translation, and lots of alcohol to dull her boredom. Otto throws himself into his work and talks about firm problems all the time. He cares more about patching things up with Charlie than with his wife. The whole time, Sophie’s injury deteriorates, and she knows she must deal with it. This is again symbolic of her realization that she must do something about her dying marriage.

In the neighborhood, things are also falling apart. Someone has their window broken, and Otto and Sophie receive nuisance calls. Otto takes the opportunity to talk about how the country is nothing like what it used to be, and that there are too many hooligans in his neighborhood. Sophie is angry that she’s the one stuck at home while he escapes to the office every day.



Finally, Sophie’s hand is badly infected. Without medical treatment, the poison will most likely kill her. She accepts that she must visit the hospital. Finally, Otto is worried about her, and he wonders what he’d do if she wasn’t around. Sophie pretends she doesn’t need his company or his attention at the hospital, but she’s secretly grateful for it.

Sophie taking this step towards dealing with her injury is symbolic of her taking the first step towards resolving her marital difficulties. Otto, who didn’t notice how bad things were until now, realizes he has neglected his wife for too long. He makes a fuss of her and promises to look after her. The wound brings them closer together and gives their marriage a chance to heal.

When they arrive home, the cat is waiting for them by the front door. Otto tries to make it run away, but Sophie wants to keep it. They get into another argument, and Sophie understands that it is time she faces her life. She no longer needs the support from the cat and she lets it go. In the meantime, Otto decides he will stop letting Charlie walk all over him. By healing their marriage, they heal their lives, too.