45 pages • 1 hour read
In the Midst of Winter
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Character Analysis
Lucia Maraz
Born in Santiago, Chile, Lucia Maraz grew up with a single mother and brother who became one of the “disappeared people” during the time of Chile’s dictatorship. Despite having been a political exile, losing her mother, enduring a heartbreaking divorce, and surviving cancer, Lucia maintains a persistent zeal for life. As a visiting professor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University and an author of several books about the “disappeared people” in Chile, she is a poised and respected scholar whose dedication to her field is motivated by her personal stake in the subject matter. The loss of her brother Enrique plagues her mother until the end of her life. The knowledge of this assorted pain has led her colleague and later lover Richard to refer to her as “wise because she had suffered” (73). Lucia’s wisdom along with her compassion enables her to be a voice of empathy when Evelyn seeks their help.
To add to her life’s obstacles, Lucia also suffered in love. In the novel, Lucia finds love again through her budding romance with Richard. However, this does not happen easily as her past partners have not exhibited her level of devotion. She is described as having “made do with crumbs of affection, too proud to ask for more” (175). This remains true when Lucia moves into Richard’s basement, attempting to draw out his company, only to be refused at first. It is not until Evelyn’s arrival that Lucia inspires Richard to reconsider how he has been living his life. Lucia’s passions help propel the journey to put Kathryn Brown’s body to rest while also becoming the essential ingredient for a new romance with Richard.
Richard Bowmaster
Richard Bowmaster grew up as the son of a German Jew who survived the Nazi regime through the kindness of strangers in his journey across Europe. As a result of his experiences, Richard’s father imparted to Richard the value of helping other marginalized people, especially undocumented migrants. While Richard shares his father’s political sentiments, he lives a removed life where these matters are subjects of academic inquiry rather than lived experiences. In the novel’s beginning, Richard acquires knowledge out of intellectual curiosity rather than personal investment, “proud of being a polyglot” (16) while never fully mastering the intimacies of interpersonal communication with different linguistic communities. It is not until he meets Lucia and Evelyn that he understands the shortcomings of his academic knowledge; he must lean on them for a more intimate understanding of surviving political strife.
As a former alcoholic, Richard lives in constant fear of repeating the carelessness he exhibited as a younger man in Brazil, which he believes led to the death of his wife, Anita and child, Bibi. He associates his time in Brazil with high passions, indulging the affections of other women when Anita no longer showed interest in him after her miscarriages. After losing both his wife and child, Richard proceeds to live a “half life” (302) that consists of overly cautious behavior. With Lucia and Evelyn’s arrival, he finds his sense of routine uprooted. Rather than rejecting it, he surprises himself by embracing change.
Evelyn Ortega
Born in the small town of Monja Blanca del Valle in Guatemala, Evelyn grew up being raised by her grandmother as her mother lived and sent remittances to the family from the U.S. (as many Guatemalan migrants have done). While she had intended to remain in her town, her older brother Gregorio became a member of the feared M-13 gang due to the limited options available to poor Guatemalans. His involvement led to his estrangement from the family and eventually his death. While it was unclear what Gregorio did to warrant his murder, Evelyn and her other brother Andre’s lives were in danger as gang members attacked families next. One day, the gang killed Andre and raped Evelyn, leaving her for dead. When Evelyn survived and recovered, she found that she had “lost her appetite and the ability to string words together” (52), leading to a speech impediment that followed her into the U.S. when she was forced to migrate to avoid becoming further victimized by the gang.
As the reason behind the collective journey to put Kathryn Brown’s body to rest, Evelyn has little say in the plan of action, though her connection to magic and spiritual activity makes her the appropriate figure for leading everyone in prayer and ceremony. Despite her limited speech, Evelyn possesses deep intelligence and valuable information about those around her, using the knowledge to protect other vulnerable people such as Mrs. Leroy and her disabled son, Frankie, after finding out that they have been abused by Mr. Leroy.
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