The House of Eve

Eleanor Quarles, who later becomes Eleanor Quarles Pride, comes from a family with limited means. She understands the sacrifices that her parents made to get her into Howard University, and because she understands these sacrifices, she wants to honor them by working hard. She works two jobs to help pay for college, one at the school library and one at Ware’s department store; her library job later leads to her archival career. When Eleanor gets pregnant by William Pride, a fellow student whom she meets at the library, she fears disappointing her parents. During the adoption process, she wonders about Wilhelmina’s (Grace’s) parents, if her mother (Ruby) was forced to give up her baby. She empathizes with this mother because she could have easily been in her position, as she became pregnant (and experienced a miscarriage) in high school.

Eleanor feels like an outsider throughout the novel. She is a dark-skinned Black woman and does not come from wealth, unlike other students at Howard, which fuels her rejection by the Alpha Beta Chi (ABC) sorority. The sorority president, a light-skinned Black woman named Greta Hepburn, is Eleanor’s foil. Later, when Eleanor becomes a part of the Pride family, she still feels like an outsider. This feeling is largely cultivated by William’s mother Rose, Greta, and other Black people of wealth who do not accept her as one of their own. Eleanor believes having a baby will finally make her a part of the family; however, she suffers two miscarriages before turning to adoption. She wants to provide William with an heir, as the Prides take pride in bloodlines, and feels guilty that she can no longer do so without risking her health. Rose oversees Wilhelmina’s adoption with William’s consent, which causes Eleanor to second guess the process, but in the end, she earns Rose’s respect and maintains a healthy marriage.

William Pride is Eleanor’s love interest and then her husband. While he grows professionally throughout the novel, his personality does not change much—as he is used to demonstrate colorism and hierarchy within the Black community as well as facilitate Eleanor’s growth. William comes from an educated, wealthy background, and his family largely associates with other light-skinned Black people. It is eventually revealed that he has white ancestry. Because of his lineage and connections, William does not face the same struggles in pursuing medical school that Eleanor and her parents do.

Despite the exclusive nature of his upbringing, William is steadfast and thoughtful. Though his mother Rose initially disapproves of Eleanor, he remains committed to her and marries her. He and Rose oversee Wilhelmina’s adoption without Eleanor’s knowledge, but the couple ultimately reconciles.

Shimmy Shapiro is Ruby’s love interest. He remains faithful to Ruby despite her repeated rejection. However, his devotion demonstrates his ignorance of racial issues and Ruby’s prioritization of her future. Shimmy is a Jewish American, a white boy. He ignores convention by allowing Ruby to sit inside Greenwald’s candy store, and is rebuked for this. While his intentions are good, his choices ultimately endanger Ruby, not himself.

While he initially blames Ruby for her pregnancy, Shimmy is willing to marry her and reiterates that race does not matter to him—but through this, he proves that he, as a white boy, can ignore race while she, as a Black girl, cannot. She understands the repercussions of an interracial relationship as such marriages are illegal in all but one state. Shimmy’s mindset stems from ignorance rather than malice, but nevertheless puts Ruby and her future in danger. In the end, Ruby cuts off their relationship after making a deal with his mother, Mrs. Shapiro, for a We Rise scholarship.

Rose Pride is William’s mother. Her grandmother Birdie was born of an enslaved person and a white slave-jail owner, and was the only one of her three sisters to refuse passing as white. Birdie and her husband committed to making life better for other Black people. This mission is important to Rose. She participates in charity work, but remains entrenched in upper-class Black society.

Rose grows throughout the novel. At the beginning, she is intent on protecting her family and disapproves of Eleanor due to her being of lesser means. However, she warms up to Eleanor, and when Eleanor temporarily leaves William, Rose is the one who opens up to her daughter-in-law and tries to resolve the issue.

Aunt Marie is a mother figure to Ruby. After Grandma Nene became blind, Ruby was sent to live with her mother, Inez, who often victim blamed Ruby for her own boyfriends’ predatory behavior. On the other hand, Aunt Marie is a constant in Ruby’s life. Aunt Marie gives her a copy of her key so she always has a place to go. While the specifics of her lifestyle are never clarified, she goes to work in men’s clothes and partakes in illegal gambling. When buying stockings for Ruby, she wears women’s clothes despite preferring men’s clothes, showing her care for her niece. It is implied that Aunt Marie may be attracted to women because she mentions her choice of company not caring about who they kiss.

Aunt Marie’s willingness to go against the system is demonstrated when she tries to procure an abortion for Ruby. She turns to an illegal abortionist, but Ruby is ultimately turned away because a white woman died at their place the night before. She continues to seek other means of abortion, but none prove effective. To the end, Aunt Marie remains Ruby’s advocate and is the first to celebrate her We Rise scholarship.