Diane

Because of the important, anthropomorphized role she plays in the novel, Diane almost merits the status of a human character, but her defining importance is as a static symbol of the objectification of women. Diane is a sex doll that Hazel’s father has bought after failed attempts at romance with real women, but she is not a last resort; in fact, he prefers her to a live partner. Like many men in the novel, including Jasper and Byron, Diane’s father views women as only tools to meet his needs. Diane is the passive, uncomplaining realization of this desire. Hazel sympathizes and talks with her because she has a twisted sense of solidarity with the doll. Diane comes to represent real women who have been objectified to the point that they struggle to retain any sense of self; like the novel’s title, she is...