Evelyn Couch is a 48 year old women who has lived her life following all the rules. Her two children moved away, living their young lives. Evelyn felt that she and her husband had never been more disconnected, she knows that he has cheated on her because she can not sexually satisfy him. She wasn't even sure if she still loved her husband. However, she did not want to get a divorce because she wouldn't know what to do with herself. She eats to make herself feel better. She always has a candy bar in hand or Taco Bell. She is rather depressed and even talks about committing suicide at the begining of the book but she knows that she can not go through with it. "Lately to get her mind off that cold gun and pulling the trigger, she would close her eyes and force herself to hear Mrs. Threadgoode's voice and if she breathed deep and concentratred she would soon see herself in Whistle stop" (p.133) Evelyn has grown so attached to this story, it is what gets her out of bed in the morning. It is almost an alternative to her life. One day a week she gets to engulf herself in this fascinating story that happened over fifty years ago. Evelyn has always lived her life by the book. Evelyn does not like change and these times have changed. She does not like what society has become. She does not like all the vulgar language, the new television shows, and casual sex. When she was in high school, she was the classic good girl cheerleader and never smoked or drank. She was a southern lady who was always proper. She seems to be stuck in the past of her glory days. She is very depressed with everything going on in her life. When she goes to the nursing home she meets Niny who helps her come back to life. She helps Evelyn bring back her confidence. When Evelyn complains about how she needs to lose weight, Niny reminds her that she only gets to live once and a couple of candy bars won't kill her. She also told her that when she was depressed she would just walk. Walking was her therapy. It saved her money by not having to go see a therapist. Niny gave Evelyn something to look forward to each week.
Niny Threadgoode is an older women living in a nursing home. She loves to talk and is very energetic. Niny acts as Evelyn's mentor throughout the story and slowly brings her back to life. She tells Evyln the story of the Whistle Stop Cafe with Idgie and Ruth. The theme does not revolve around her but she helps Evelyn learn the meaning of life. She encourages her to get off the couch and do something with her life because it's too short. She is such a young soul in an old person's body. "Pull your self together and open your heart to the lord" (p. 67) We can see from the beginning Evelyn has opened up to Niny who is giving advise to help Evelyn through this rough patch of her life.
Idgie Threadgode grew up in the 1920's. Idgie had always been a stubborn little girl, she liked to play with the boys and hated wearing dresses. When she found something she loved she could never let it go. She was very passionate about what she loved. When her big brother who she cared for so deeply got killed, she ran away from home. She had the hardest time with it. Then she met Ruth whom she loved so deeply. She is a tomboy who doesn't care what others think and always fights for what she believes in. This sometimes gets her into trouble. She treats everyone as a human being no matter their disability or color. She has a son who had lost an arm. She taught him to be tough and never to pity himself. She told him he could do anything anyone else could if he set his mind to it. That is how Idgie lived. She did not follow all of society's rules. She falls in love with a beautiful woman named Ruth. She is indeed a lesbian. People around her did not always accept her but the people who loved her did and that was all that mattered to Idgie. She also let colored people eat her food from the cafe. People in the town got upset with this. They warned her that she shouldn't be serving colored people, when it was a white only cafe. If it was up to her, she would have made her cafe open to everyone. She also had a soft spot for the poor. People would come from all over traveling and some times they were not able to pay. Idgie always would let them eat even if they could not afford it. She always offered southern hospitality.
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