Character Analysis: Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe

Flagg’s character Evelyn Couch is seen as a believable character, because the reader gets a bit of background on who she is and why she goes to the nursing home. In the novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Evelyn is described as a “forty-eight year old . . . [who] had gotten lost somewhere along the way” (37). After her children left to college Evelyn felt as if she did not know what to do with her life anymore, because before it revolved around her family and taking care of each one of them. In the late 1980’s women began to have more job opportunities; however, in Evelyn’s case she was already too old to go out and work for a company without having went to college. This shows that, without being capable of receiving

In some stories Ninny is telling Evelyn, Ninny seems like she knows exactly what occurred when she was not present during the events. For example, when Stump becomes frustrated that he lost his arm and is not capable of shooting with both hands, Idgie takes him to The Wagon Wheel River and Fishing Club; however, Ninny clearly states that Stump told her, “Aw, I cain’t tell you, Aunt Ninny, I promised I wouldn’t” (103). How else was Ninny capable of knowing where Idgie took Stump? It seems as if Idgie is Ninny’s alter ego. Ninny can be seen as nice and kind while Idgie is more rebellious and dauntless. When Ninny is telling Evelyn all the stories she refers to the Threadgoode parents as “Momma” and “Poppa”; for example, “Momma had this big fat Baptist preacher [. . .] Poppa Threadgoode wasn’t rich, but it seemed to us” (23). In the beginning of the story, Ninny clearly says she lived next door to the Threadgoode, but how come she calls the Threadgoode parents “Momma” and “Poppa” also. Another key example would be when Ninny says the Baptist preacher, “who was in town for a camp meeting, staying with us” (23). Oddly, enough she refers to herself by not being a neighbor, but living with the Threadgoode family. In the end, is Ninny actually Idgie