36 pages • 1 hour read
No One is Talking About This
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Character Analysis
The Protagonist
The unnamed protagonist of No One Is Talking About This is an influencer on the portal and speaks professionally about its cultural and social impact. At the beginning of the novel, she devotes much of her time and energy to interacting with others on the portal. As a result, she often suffers from anxiety, dissociation, and a sense of loss of the experience of real life. She also questions her individuality. As the portal represents a collective mind, she feels it has replaced any original or unique thoughts she may have had. In one way, the portal itself serves as the antagonist in the novel. It distances the protagonist from reality. Conversely, the protagonist antagonizes over her use of the portal. As her addiction grows, she becomes her own antagonist by being unable to stop using it.
The protagonist’s use of her voice and body reflect her development as a character. Her dissociation from her body results in anxiety over how her voice is being used professionally and the way she expresses herself in the English language. After her sister’s baby is born, the protagonist’s world shifts. She questions whether she has been wasting her time on the portal and focuses on giving attention to the baby and her family. She distances herself from the portal, refrains from posting about her niece, and falls out of touch with the daily cultural permutations of the portal.
As the protagonist spends more time out of the portal, she realizes the “sunshine” and kindness her voice is capable of when speaking to the baby. Her priorities shift from posting in the portal to spending time with the baby. At the conclusion of the novel, the protagonist has distanced herself from the portal so much that she is unable to give an authentic speech at the British Museum and later doesn’t care when her phone is stolen. The baby has helped to facilitate the protagonist’s development by encouraging her to spend time outside of the portal.
The Baby
As the main motivator for much of the plot and character development in the novel, the baby fills the traditional mentor role. She encourages the protagonist to make necessary changes to her behavior and worldview. Born with Proteus syndrome, the baby is the focus of intense emotional experiences for the family. Following her passing, the baby continues to encourage the protagonist and the family to remember the lessons of familial devotion, kindness, and acceptance that she taught them during her life.
The baby experiences brief moments of growth, especially when she begins to respond to her family’s voices. As this development was not predicted by the doctors assigned to her case, the baby’s abilities seem miraculous to her family. Furthermore, the fact that the baby exists completely outside of the portal encourages the protagonist to consider herself capable of the same kind of existence.
The Husband
Described by the protagonist as not living as fully in the portal as she does, the husband nevertheless keeps current with cultural, social, and political movements discussed on the portal. He often tries (unsuccessfully) to break his wife’s addiction to the portal by reminding her of his presence. He explains that his distance from the portal depends on the idea that “I wouldn’t want to be full when I die” (21) and retain his individuality. As a form of protest to the dictator’s politics, the husband gets a small tattoo on his hairline that reads ”STOP IT.” The tattoo is described by the protagonist as barely visible.
The husband does not display character growth. His interactions with the baby are minimal, as he only briefly visits her once. The husband remains in his home for the time the protagonist lives with her sister and isn’t present at the family’s holiday celebrations. The husband is a static character used as a placeholder for the protagonist’s life outside of her family.
The Sister and the Family
After her baby’s diagnosis with Proteus syndrome, the sister is supported by her parents, the protagonist, and their brother. She lives in Ohio and therefore is restricted from getting an abortion, even when her pregnancy becomes dangerous enough to threaten her life. Though the protagonist offers to drive the sister to another state for the procedure, both know that neither would be accepted by their conservative parents if they did so. The sister chooses to continue the pregnancy to maintain her relationship with her parents and meet their expectations. After the baby’s birth, the sister and the protagonist share motherly duties. The protagonist describes her sister as taking on an almost saintly patience; she is devoted to making her daughter’s life as comfortable as possible.
The rest of the family similarly devote themselves to helping support the sister and the baby. Though the father’s conservatism is strict enough to keep his daughter from considering abortion before the baby’s birth, both the father and his daughters attempt to understand each other and form a stronger bond. Following the baby’s passing, the family keeps her memory alive by sending photos and videos of her to each other through text message. The family maintains an agreement to keep the baby out of the portal and do not post about her.
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