Character Relationship Map: Grotesque

Characters

• Mildred Moyer (played by Elizabeth Chamberlain) — protagonist

  A bullied and mistreated woman whose disfiguring plastic surgery and repeated abuse drive her into a violent campaign of revenge.

• Homeless Lisa (played by Amber Shaun) — supporting

  One of the homeless people who shelter Mildred and hear her story without judging her.

• Homeless Carl (played by Darrell Portz) — supporting

  One of the homeless people who provide Mildred shelter and listen to her account of being mistreated.

• Homeless Patty (played by Jade Benoit) — supporting

  A member of the homeless community that gives Mildred shelter and listens to her story.

• Homeless Mike (played by Luke Rusnak) — supporting

  A member of the homeless group that gives Mildred shelter and hears her story.

• Sleazy Photographer (played by Jaymz Smith) — supporting

  A photographer whom Mildred confronts over failing to pay her.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Mildred Moyer → Sleazy Photographer (conflict)

  Mildred confronts a photographer who never paid her.

• Mildred Moyer → Homeless Mike (alliance)

  Mildred finds shelter among homeless people who hear her story without judging her.

• Mildred Moyer → Homeless Patty (alliance)

  Mildred finds shelter among homeless people who hear her story without judging her.

• Mildred Moyer → Homeless Carl (alliance)

  Mildred finds shelter among homeless people who hear her story without judging her.

• Mildred Moyer → Homeless Lisa (alliance)

  Mildred finds shelter among homeless people who hear her story without judging her.

• Mildred Moyer → Homeless Lisa (Alliance Confidante And Encourager) — Homeless Lisa is identified in the character list as part of the homeless group that offers Mildred shelter and supports her revenge.

  After killing her roommate and sister, Mildred finds shelter among homeless people, who hear her story without judging her and encourage her to take r...

Story Analysis

Mildred's experiences of humiliation and exclusion give way to a violent campaign of revenge that ends on an unresolved threat.

Plot Progression

1. Cruelty in Daily Life — Mildred endures exploitation at work and repeated cruelty about her appearance. Public mockery and reminders of past humiliation intensify her isolation.
2. A Damaged Face and Flight — Mildred explains that pressure about her appearance led her to cheap plastic surgery that badly damaged her face. After killing her roommate and sister, she believes police are looking for her.
3. Shelter and Revenge — Mildred finds shelter among homeless people who listen without judging her. She says many more people will die, and they encourage her revenge.
4. Confronting the Past — Mildred confronts people connected to her past and present, including a former teacher and a photographer. She also confronts her boss and blames him for his management.
5. Violence in the Woods — Mildred encounters former coworkers in the woods, kills one, and threatens the others. After a failed chase, she takes an axe and makes an offer to spare a pleading woman, but the story cuts off befor...