Lila By Marilynne Robinson: Character Analysis

Growing up in poverty increases our potential to understand each other in difficult times. In Lila, Marilynne Robinson accurately grasps the concept of knowing what it like to live below the poverty level. The lack of empathy is usually seen throughout society, especially in impoverished areas. Theft, abuse, violence, prostitution, are indicators of a poorly driven area. Further, Robinson suggests through empathetic characters, that there are people in the world that actually go out of his or her way to reach out to others at the poverty level. Despite living in unfortunate circumstances, poverty enriches the goodness of others. As demonstrated by Doll and Lila, empathy passes on through each character’s understanding of poverty.
It takes …show more content…
When Lila hears Missy discuss about getting rid of her child, “Lila [starts] thinking [that] she might just steal a child for herself. Nobody would mind...And the child would never be an orphan, because Lila would always be there looking after it, keeping it beside her” (201). She continues that think that “[Missy] would be glad Lila took her [child], because Lila would show her every good thing she could think of, everything that Doll had shown her. She would teach her to get by” (202). “If it happened to be one nobody else wanted around, then it would be a good thing to take it up, tend to it” (202). In the brothel, it is against the rules to have a child, since the main objective for the women is to interact with the gentleman that visits for a good time. Brothels have appeared during times of poverty. It is the last resort for women to survive in such tragedy. Lila absolutely hates it, but it is her only option to live. Knowing that Missy did not want her child in the first place since Mack is not longer around, Lila feels the need to care for the child. It is exactly similar to how Doll finds Lila in the streets, feeling unwanted by her own family. Lila’s thoughts portray her empathetic side, which is heavily influenced by Doll’s motherly care for her in the past. She wants to do exactly what Doll did; stealing a child and raise her as her own. Lila knows how it feels to be unwanted by anyone; …show more content…
She is the one who actually cared for Lila, unlike bystanders. She raised Lila as her own child, even though she is not related in any way. No one else went to Lila, and Doll realized that Lila does have a future. Doll’s motherly side influenced Lila into becoming one of the most empathetic characters in the novel. With Doll’s influence, Lila continues to spread the kindness through Missy’s child and the runaway boy. Sadly, she had plans of stealing Missy’s child since she is technically unwanted by her mother in the brothel. Again, if Missy did not take her away from Lila, Lila could have ended up stealing her as a way to rescue her, just like Doll. As for the runaway boy, Lila tried to earn his trust despite being a stranger. She comforts him when he spills his tragic event. These all prove that empathy does exist through poverty. It takes at least one person to make a difference, and the kindness continues to