Marxist
Norman – working at the factory, free tea, metal detecting
Max – unable to hold a job, lotto winner, social need to assist, his goals, “I do not feel disabled”,
money does not make him content, in order to succeed lies were necessary
Ivy – her use of money, where her money ends up
Mary on surgery “wasted my money on something pointless”
Damian’s analogy in the letter “smooth over the wrinkles of the world”
Feminist
Mary – birthmark the colour of ‘poo’ – isolation, ‘poo face’, physical appearance – buttons, smile,
hair, cosmetic surgery, without Max’s approval her career and life fall apart “she lost interest in the
world and it lost interest in her”
Psychoanalytical
Vera – alcoholic, kleptomaniac , mourning
Max – Asperger’s syndrome, ‘new and different’ – isolation, ‘God hates fat people’ ‘he says my mind
is not that healthy’, childhood trauma, father’s abandonment, mother’s suicide, “I wasn’t a threat to
anybody, except myself” “people often confuse me”, obesity “he felt love, but couldn’t articulate
it” “severe depression and obesity” “marinated him with a cocktail of drugs” “mentally deficient” Mr
Ravioli “All humans are imperfect” “I wanted to be anybody, but myself”
Mary – ‘where do babies come from?’ ‘can you explain love?’ “anger, confusion and self-loathing”,
attempted suicide
Len, neighbour – acrophobia, war trauma
Mary and Max – victims of bullying