Dolores Claiborne

A wealthy and cantankerous woman from Baltimore, Vera Donovan moves permanently to Little Tall Island after the deaths of her husband and children, Donald and Helga. She employs Dolores Claiborne as a maid, housekeeper, and later as a live-in companion. Depicted as strong willed, demanding, and frequently unsympathetic to the plights of her employees, Vera enjoys playing mental games with Dolores and suffers from bouts of senility as she ages.

Originally Vera dresses elegantly and enjoys throwing parties at the Little Tall Island mansion. After her family members pass away, Vera becomes more withdrawn. She enjoys watching Jeopardy, searching for shells on the beach, and overseeing and criticizing the work of her employees. For many years, she also enjoys the companionship of a workman Dolores refers to as “the hunky.” Often lonely, Vera frequently talks about her children and hints that they will be coming to visit even though they never do.

As Dolores learns, Vera and her “hunky” killed Mr. Donovan. The following year, Vera’s children died in a car accident. Yet, for the remainder of her years, Vera spoke of her son and daughter as if they still lived, even inventing jobs and children for them. By telling Dolores of these fantasies as if they were fact, Vera keeps her children alive and assuages her own guilt. Additionally, despite her often mean demeanor, Vera cares for Dolores, relying on the younger woman to care for her physical and emotional needs, and protecting Dolores’s secrets.

A native of Little Tall Island, Joe began dating Dolores when they were in high school. When Dolores becomes pregnant, the two wed, and Joe begins abusing Dolores the second night of their marriage. A racist, drinker, and gambler, Joe spends the family’s money on his own vices and uses his stints with Alcoholics Anonymous to gain local sympathy. As the main antagonist of the novel, Joe’s actions cause the primary conflict in the novel, and he is eventually murdered by his wife.

Joe causes his family extensive harm. In addition to hitting his wife, Joe molests his daughter, Selena. He sees nothing wrong with his actions, and justifies them by claiming that Selena teased him and that she was nearly 15 years old. He also belittles his second son, Joe Junior, continually yelling at him “to tuck in his shirt, to comb his hair, to quit slouchin, to grow up, stop actin like a goddam sissy with his nose always stuck in a book, to be a man” (157). Joe’s actions toward the boy result in Joe Junior’s hatred of his father. Joe also attempts to instill racist and toxic beliefs in his youngest son, praising Little Pete when he uses discriminatory language and encouraging his troublemaking.

Dolores plans to murder Joe by tricking him into falling into an abandoned well on their property. While injured and intoxicated, Joe manages to survive the fall, emphasizing his physical intimidation—the threat of which provides most of the plot’s suspense and horror. In the end, Dolores is forced to strike him violently with a stone to end his life.