Devil In A Blue Dress

Daphne Monet fills several roles throughout the novel. At first, she is merely a name and a face, a problem for Easy to solve. When he meets her, she takes on the role of a femme fatale, at once mysterious, alluring, and dangerous. As her identity and backstory are revealed in the novel’s final chapters, she goes beyond the limits of a stereotypical love interest to become a complex, sympathetic character. Born Ruby Hanks to a Black mother and an abusive white father, she takes on an alternate identity, Daphne Monet, to pass as white. Under her alias, she dates a series of powerful and problematic men. Her motivations for doing so are not fully clear, but she certainly benefits financially and socially from these relationships in 1948 LA, even as she demonstrates genuine affection for her lovers. She also has a fling with Easy, but their relationship dissolves following her revelation as Ruby. Though Easy remains smitten, she insists that she is no longer the person with whom Easy fell in love, showing the extent to which she has internalized and compartmentalized her dual identities.

Daphne’s defining characteristics include her duality and changeability: Easy compares her to a “chameleon lizard” who changes based on what others need or want her to be (186), as she does for Easy and Carter. She thus embodies seemingly contradictory characteristics, as when, one moment, she is filled with childlike naivete, and soon after, she is whispering “obscene suggestions” in Easy’s ear. Instead of following a consistent arc of steady change toward a specific endpoint, Daphne remains a mystery character whom Easy struggles to understand or explain. Daphne’s experience speaks both to the performative nature of identity and the dilemma faced by those who exist in society’s in-between spaces.

Earning his nickname for his “small, rodent-faced” appearance (33), Mouse also resembles his namesake for his instinctive, animalistic behavior. Mouse and Easy are foil characters in their understanding of violence and guilt. Whereas Easy remains burdened by guilt for murders he was only tangentially involved in for years afterwards, Mouse displays no remorse for killing his stepfather and others. His propensity for violence at once repulses Easy and provides him a way to manage the dangers he faces, since Easy brings Mouse in knowing that he will take the lead in high-stakes situations. Following Daphne’s capture, Easy admits, “Without Mouse I didn’t know what to do” (198). Mouse appears and kills Easy’s opponents. His violence thus serves as a compliment to Easy’s straitlaced sense of duty while highlighting Easy’s internal conflict.

DeWitt Albright is the businessman who first hires Easy to find Daphne. Both his name, which sounds like “all bright,” and his light-colored suit, shoes, socks, and hat emphasize his whiteness and his friendly demeanor, even as he tries to win Easy over by denouncing banks and big business. Hypocritically, Albright proves as greedy as those he criticizes, motivated as he is almost exclusively by the pursuit of money. Albright’s character is closely linked to Mouse, as each reminds Easy of the other, perpetrating violence for pleasure and jealously seeking or guarding money. His character thus represents the chaos and violence that stem from unbridled greed. 

Several secondary characters in the novel present varying viewpoints on morality in addition to moving the plot forward.

Bartender Joppy Shag first refers Easy to Albright. His scarred features and muscular frame are holdovers from his days as a boxer. Though Joppy bears Easy no ill will, the two come into conflict as Joppy continues to work for Albright after Easy takes a more independent approach. Joppy goes on to kill Howard and Coretta, thus representing how strength is turned to destructive ends by Albright’s controlling influence.

Junior Fornay is the large, powerful bouncer at John’s place. Though Easy approaches Junior in a friendly manner, the narration reveals his negative view of Junior as a “filthy man who didn’t give a damn about anything” (29). Easy finds Junior’s unwillingness to take responsibility for Richard’s death morally repugnant. Even so, Easy regrets the necessity of turning Junior in to clear his own name at the novel’s end. As his name suggests, Junior represents those whose crimes are excusable only because they, like children, are weak or pitiful.

Frank Green is Daphne’s menacing half-brother and a gangster with a violent reputation. In contrast with Albright, Frank wears dark clothing, which Easy takes as a sign of his malicious intent. Throughout most of the novel, he remains a threatening but distant entity mysteriously connected to Daphne; in the end, he attains some redemption when it is revealed that he killed Daphne’s abusive father. His loyalty to Daphne shows that even characters who seem to conform to stereotypes, such as that of the violent gangster, are capable of loving acts and deserving of respect.

A quiet, religious man, Odell nevertheless participates in activities traditionally defined as vices, including heavy drinking and paying for sex. Odell leads a quiet, comfortable life, and he encourages Easy to do the same, telling him to seek help, get rest, or even leave town when opposition mounts. He also validates Easy’s decision to turn in Junior while allowing Mouse to walk free. Far from a voice of conscience, Odell demonstrates how easy it would be for Easy to rationalize questionable decisions. The fact that Easy rarely follows his advice throws his own character into sharper relief.