Lola in the Mirror

Erica Finlay, Lola’s mother, has built their life on a lie and experiences guilt as a result. Although she was in an abusive relationship with her husband, she lied to Lola about the details. She fabricated a fight in which she stabbed him and ran away with Lola. Consequently, the woman keeps Lola’s name a secret. However, after Erica drowns, Lola learns the truth: Erica’s husband died by suicide and killed their daughter by setting his car on fire. Distraught, Erica stole someone else’s child. The guilt of her crime often overwhelmed her. Lola reflects, “I remember how she was often broken, not by what was happening around us, or by the street or the scrapyard, or the people who would scare us when we were walking home, but by the memories” (82). These memories brought terrible nightmares and led her to create a life on the run with constantly changing names and appearances. Ros instinctually knew that “there was somethin’ more than sadness in those tears” (82) and identified that “there were a good few capfuls of guilt poured into that mix” (84). Despite evading the police and providing her daughter with love, Erica could never escape the guilt of her crime. Lola even suspects that Erica drowned herself on purpose so she would never have to reveal the truth.

Despite this, Erica showered Lola with love, education, art, and advice. While alive, she compares motherhood to “paradise” and tells Lola, “I love you more than all the grass there is in Ireland” (85). Expressions like this are frequent, for Erica wants the girl to feel loved despite their hard life circumstances. Additionally, Lola later acknowledges Erica’s efforts: “I loved the woman she was helping me become. She was helping me be brave. She showed me how to be artful. How to see art everywhere. How to see the wonder. The wonder hidden inside life and the wonder hidden in me” (316). Although their life was predicated on a lie, Erica’s love and guidance were genuine. Lola is reminded of this constantly and thinks of how her mother’s hopeful words—like how the girl would one day dance with a price—often come true.

Charlie Mould is Lola’s best friend. Although he struggles with alcoholism, he retains a positive outlook. He also lives in the scrapyard, but he often passes out elsewhere after drinking. When Lola and Erica find him by the river, the woman says, “You gotta tell ’im to quit drinkin’ so hard […] His organs, they haven’t developed,” and he is not “strong enough to go that hard” (44). Lola’s mother worries that Charlie’s drinking is so extreme that he is damaging his body beyond repair. Furthermore, his drinking makes him vulnerable. One night, Lola finds him just as a serial killer arrives. If it were not for her intervention, the serial killer would have murdered him. Despite his alcoholism, Charlie remains upbeat. Lola explains, “Charlie’s an optimist, the most optimistic person I know” and was left as a baby at the door of a hospital, and he considers it “the best thing that can happen to a human” because there’s ‘no going down from there” (166). Abandoned as a baby, Charlie could have turned to cynicism and anger, but instead, he chooses to look at the situation as positive, for his life could only improve. This optimism often buoys Charlie, particularly regarding the Resilience of the Human Spirit.

Charlie only quits drinking because he loves Lola and is loyal to her. She remembers when he gave her a nickname: “It was six years ago that Charlie decided to call me “Princess Di’ because that would mean he was my Prince Charles” (95). His title for Lola is not just because of her beautiful appearance, but it is also a way for him to visualize them together like the royal couple. Ultimately, Charlie will do anything for Lola, including going to a wrecking yard at 10 pm or helping her evade Flora’s henchmen. His characteristic devotion is evident on Christmas when he and Lola sit together in the Collins’s mansion. When Lola scoffs at the idea of missing Erica, Charlie pushes back: “Love’s pretty strong, Princess. I’ve always loved the people who ruined my life. I hate all those people. But I love those people too. Because love’s stronger than hate. And it’s way stronger than ruin” (254). Charlie’s mindset shows that he understands the complexity of people and love; loved ones can do terrible and hurtful things, but that does not negate all the good. He demonstrates this in his loyalty to Lola even after she does not reciprocate his affection. Despite her refusals for help, he declares that he “will be running away too. [He] might be a metre or two behind [her]. Maybe even beside [her]” (393). Charlie does not want her to be alone when fleeing Flora, so she will have his support whether she accepts it or not. Moments later, Lola discovers that he has stopped drinking for her. In both his words and actions, Charlie Mould exudes love for Lola.

An antagonist and villain, Flora Box is a ruthless criminal who operates an illegal drug ring behind the façade of a seafood business. Despite her grandmotherly appearance, dressed in white sneakers with gray hair and glasses, the woman is a cold-blooded killer only out for her own best interest. Although Flora appears to be kind, Lola’s mom warns the girl of Flo’s snake-like nature: “Flo does not love you […]. Don’t you dare think for a second that she wouldn’t tape your arms and legs, lock you in a fish box and drop you in this drink if she had to” (49). Not only does Erica emphasize Flora’s lack of affection, but she also underscores the woman’s ruthlessness, for she would be likely to tie them up and drown them in the river. Her nickname captures these attributes: “‘the Wicked Witch of the West End’” (81). Her duplicitous and villainous ways make Flora Box a foil to kinder characters like Detective Sergeant Topping.

Flora’s son, Brandon, is an extension of his mother but without the pretense of kindness. Aggressive, he takes whatever he wants, like when he sexually assaulted Lola in the cement plant. Furthermore, Brandon asserts his physical strength to show dominance, often exacting unnecessary cruelty on others. The same day he attacked Lola, he threw a drunk man into the river for no reason. Brandon displays this callousness when reading the article about the Finlays: “‘It says [they] only had one kid.’ He looks up me and laughs again. ‘So where the fuck did you come from?’” (125). His blunt articulation of Lola’s fear is heartless, for in her moment of pain, he laughs and asks a painful question. This behavior highlights how Brandon finds joy in hurting others.

Danny, Lola’s love interest, is an artist and a romantic. When Lola first discovers his sketchbook, she recognizes his talent. Then, on the bridge, the first thing he says is that he loves her and that he “thought about saying something else that was bullshit and boring but then [he] decided that if people were really gonna read about [them] in a hundred years’ time then [he] wanted them to know [he] said something brave and beautiful” (290). Like Lola, he longs to be bold and genuine. Like artists, he strives for bravery, and like romantics, he seeks the beautiful. He shows his true colors immediately, and his love for her is evident later when he visits the bridge every night, hoping to see her.

His love for Lola makes him not only loyal to her but also able to see who she truly is. When Lola visits Danny and asks why he keeps going to the bridge, he responds, “I thought about how great it would be for people to read about how I never gave up, how I just kept seeing you in my head and how I just kept wishing I would look up and see you there in the middle of that bridge” (403). Danny’s persistence proves his love for Lola and his optimism. Given the floods plaguing Brisbane, Danny’s choice to go to the bridge every night is a vow of love and loyalty. Furthermore, he can sense a bright and remarkable future for Lola and makes her feel seen, first in his drawing and then in his words and actions. Instead of confusion or annoyance at her first words, he recognizes the significance of the moment. Then, when she urges him to forget her, instead of giving up, he shouts, “I see you […] I’ll always see you” (407). Danny knows that she is more than her circumstances or societal stereotypes and sees Lola even when she cannot see herself. Danny cements his love and loyalty when he stays by her side for five days in the hospital.