Ethel Matthews Character Analysis

‘I hate men,’ Ethel said. ‘Men are devils, aren’t they? But of course I don’t really care a damn about them. Why should I? I can earn my own living. I’m a masseuse—I’m a Swedish masseuse. And, mind you, when I say I’m a masseuse I don’t mean like some of these dirty foreigners. Don’t you hate foreigners?’

‘Well,’ I said, ‘I don’t think I do; but, you see, I don’t know many.’

‘What?’ Ethel said, looking surprised and suspicious, ‘you don’t hate them?’

‘Well, I don’t need to be here either,’ I said. ‘I can get as much money as I like any time I like.’ I stretched, and watched my swollen shadow on the wall stretching too.

She said, ‘Well, I should say so—a lovely girl like you. And well under twenty, I should say. I’ve got a spare bedroom in my flat. Why don’t you come along and live with me for a bit? I’m looking for somebody to share with me. As a matter of fact I’d almost fixed it up with a pal of mine. She’ll put in twenty-five pounds and do the manicure and we’ll start a little business.’

‘Oh yes?’ I said.

‘Well, just between ourselves, I shan’t mind if I don’t fix it up with her. She’s a bit of a Nosey Parker. Why don’t you think it over? I’ve got a lovely spare room.’

‘Of course,’ she said, ‘you must be a bit nice to them.’

‘Why not ten bob?’ she said. ‘That’s all right. Everybody’s got their living to earn and if people do things thinking that they’re going to get something that they don’t get, what’s it matter to you or me or anybody else? You let them talk. You can take it from me that when it comes to it they’re all so damned afraid of a scene that they’re off like a streak of lightning at the slightest…’

‘Did you have a good time? I bet you did. Redman’s a nice man. He knows his way about, you can tell that. Oh, I bet he knows his way about. You know, kid, I’ve been thinking you’ll want to go out more with your friends and not feel you’ve got to be in all day. I don’t mind, but we may have to talk it over a bit about the rent.’

‘I hate men,’ Ethel said. ‘Men are devils, aren’t they? But of course I don’t really care a damn about them. Why should I? I can earn my own living. I’m a masseuse—I’m a Swedish masseuse. And, mind you, when I say I’m a masseuse I don’t mean like some of these dirty foreigners. Don’t you hate foreigners?’

‘Well,’ I said, ‘I don’t think I do; but, you see, I don’t know many.’

‘What?’ Ethel said, looking surprised and suspicious, ‘you don’t hate them?’

‘Well, I don’t need to be here either,’ I said. ‘I can get as much money as I like any time I like.’ I stretched, and watched my swollen shadow on the wall stretching too.

She said, ‘Well, I should say so—a lovely girl like you. And well under twenty, I should say. I’ve got a spare bedroom in my flat. Why don’t you come along and live with me for a bit? I’m looking for somebody to share with me. As a matter of fact I’d almost fixed it up with a pal of mine. She’ll put in twenty-five pounds and do the manicure and we’ll start a little business.’

‘Oh yes?’ I said.

‘Well, just between ourselves, I shan’t mind if I don’t fix it up with her. She’s a bit of a Nosey Parker. Why don’t you think it over? I’ve got a lovely spare room.’

‘Of course,’ she said, ‘you must be a bit nice to them.’

‘Why not ten bob?’ she said. ‘That’s all right. Everybody’s got their living to earn and if people do things thinking that they’re going to get something that they don’t get, what’s it matter to you or me or anybody else? You let them talk. You can take it from me that when it comes to it they’re all so damned afraid of a scene that they’re off like a streak of lightning at the slightest…’

‘Did you have a good time? I bet you did. Redman’s a nice man. He knows his way about, you can tell that. Oh, I bet he knows his way about. You know, kid, I’ve been thinking you’ll want to go out more with your friends and not feel you’ve got to be in all day. I don’t mind, but we may have to talk it over a bit about the rent.’