House of Glass

Rose is a nine-year-old girl who “appears to be closer to seven” because of her small stature (2). She is a serious and precocious child, and Stella notices something “eerily adult in her eyes” (15). Rose is initially characterized as silent and serious because she has endured a traumatic event and is experiencing mutism, but she is also wise beyond her years. In this way, she resembles her own mother and is a complex, highly intelligent young girl. She is a piano prodigy, reads at an adult level, and picks up languages with ease. She understands that she is in danger because Harriet knows that Rose has identified her as Tina’s killer. Rose’s habit of slyly collecting weapons is revealed to be a self-defense mechanism rather than a real propensity for violence. Although emotionally aware, Rose struggles with the aftermath of finding her nanny’s body, and Stella notes that it will be years before Rose fully processes her trauma. Rose’s character also reflects the author’s exploration into The Nature of Evil. Whereas Harriet initially appears harmless and Rose’s temper suggests an underlying current of violence, the opposite is actually true.

Beth is Rose’s mother. An elegant woman, she is fond of expensive handbags and chic accessories. She is “ballerina-lean” and tall and maintains formal dress and mannerisms. As an heiress, she embodies wealth and privilege and is instantly recognizable to Stella as someone who is accustomed to having her own way at all times. Although she married for love rather than status, she has never given up the trappings of wealth, and the old-fashioned, stately family home is evidence of the high value she places on affluence and appearances.

Beth is also characterized by dishonesty and is a key figure in the novel’s exploration of Secrecy and Dysfunctional Families. She and her husband, Ian, conceal a wealth of information from Stella, and Stella is not sure until the very end of the narrative why the two soon-to-be-ex-spouses would conspire to deceive her. Stella does, at one point, make a distinction between people who lie maliciously and those who lie to protect one another, and because Beth’s web of lies is meant to protect her daughter from prosecution, her dishonesty should be read in a more nuanced way. Although she understands that it is unethical to try to cover up a crime that she believes her daughter committed, the novel suggests that her actions stem from a parent’s urge to protect their child. Beth is also characterized by her fraught interpersonal relationships. As the recipient of childhood and college bullying, Beth left a prestigious university to escape her tormenters. Her marriage has long been unhappy, and Tina was not Ian’s first affair. Beth has few friendships and focuses most of her attention on her daughter.

Ian is Rose’s father. Unlike his wife, he was not born into an affluent family. Stella describes him as a “handsome landscaper from a humble background who married an heiress” (38). Although he now owns a landscaping company, he still shows evidence of his working-class roots and is “less formal than his wife” (37). Unlike Beth, Ian usually wears jeans and sweatshirts and pads around the house without shoes. These differences in appearance emphasize Ian’s down-to-earth origins despite his marriage to a “blue-blooded” woman who can easily purchase a multi-million-dollar compound for the family. His class position is part of why the press is so willing to believe that he murdered Tina, and his character contributes to the author’s implicit criticism of wealth and privilege.

Ian is both dishonest and a serial cheater, although the novel treats his behavior with nuance. He cheats in part because of the difficulty of his marriage, and he is shown at multiple times to feel guilt for his actions. Ian tried to break off his liaisons with Tina before she died and was horrified to learn that she had been carrying his child. Although Ian’s mother characterizes him as a flawed, manipulative man, he is a more multifaceted individual than she realizes. He and Beth never truly have much in common, and their marital difficulties are rooted in their disconnect rather than in his bad behavior.

Ian sees children differently than his wife and often engages in silly play with Rose or buys her sweets and fast food. Despite his flaws as a husband, Ian is a loving and committed father. He sees Rose as a child and believes that she should have fun, while Beth sees Rose as a prodigy and acts accordingly. When the couple comes to an amicable settlement in Rose’s best interests, this development is a result of Ian’s willingness to share parenting duties with Beth and focus on Rose’s well-being.

Charles is Stella’s father figure and longstanding mentor. He is now a judge, but he was once a defense attorney, and it was partially through his influence that Stella entered the legal field. Like Stella, he is an astute judge of character and has an empathetic, client-centered mindset. He reserves judgment and treats people with care and concern, even when their behavior and criminal histories might cause them to be stigmatized. This is evident in his relationship with Stella’s mother, who was both a friend and a client even as she succumbed to addiction. Stella’s own work ethic and empathy are rooted in Charles’s positive influence, and he shares a deep bond with her.

Charles is also a complicated figure with his own history of addiction. He notes that he was a “different sort of man” when his kids were young and that “they ha[ve]n’t forgiven him” (133). Although this statement is cryptic when he makes it, Charles’s drinking is ultimately revealed to have caused the accident that killed Stella’s father, and although he defended her mother in court, he also used drugs with her. Like Stella’s mother, Charles’s response to grief and loss was to self-medicate. However, Charles remains a kind and understanding character. The novel does not indict him or Stella’s mother for their addictions and other flaws; instead, the narrative addresses their struggles with grace, acknowledging that they are both flawed, unhappy people without the mental health resources to cope with their grief. Charles’s character represents the author’s concerted effort to humanize and explain the impacts of addiction.