A Gift Guide for the Forgotten Characters of Literature
All the holiday shopping is done and gifts are under the tree. Not a stray piece of wrapping paper or bow out of place. Everything is just perfect. Oh no. We forgot about Mary. And Marge. And Myrtle and Mayella. Now riddle us this, dear reader. Why are all the forgotten characters of literature so hard to shop for? And why do all their names begin with the letter M?
Mary Bennet from Pride & Prejudice
While Mary Bennet is often described as the least accomplished of all the Bennet sisters, we’ve remembered that she’s quite the accomplished pianoforte player. (Yes, Mary. We’ve remembered!) This year, we bought Mary a sheet music infinity scarf from Uncommon Goods and this zebra piano shirt by boygirlparty to bring Miss Bennet’s pianoforte love into the 21st century.
Marge Dursley from Harry Potter
While Marge Dursley has a pretty bad reputation in the Harry Potter universe, we’ll always remember her as the bulldog lover she is. Because we initially weren’t sure if our gift budget would allow for Harry Potter’s extended family, we ended up rush shipping this set of bulldog ice molds from Williams-Sonoma and an iPod shuffle preloaded with episodes of the podcast Can I Pet Your Dog? Because what Marge Dursley really needs is to be understood.
Myrtle Wilson from The Great Gatsby
Life in the auto garage with her husband George isn’t everything Myrtle Wilson ever dreamed about. And while we’re not here to get in between her and her lover Tom, there’s definitely a way for Myrtle to feel extravagant without breaking the bank or her marriage. This year, we bought Myrtle a gift card to Rent the Runway – for the nights when she wants to look simply stunning.
Mayella Ewell from To Kill a Mockingbird
As the plaintiff in the case Atticus Finch is defending throughout the novel, it’s a wonder we can’t keep track of Mayella. As the plot unfolds, it becomes clear that this nineteen-year-old is essentially friendless. To start, we’re taking her to her favorite local bookstore and buying her a few books, assuring her all the while that she can find friends in literary places. We’re also downloading the Hey Vina! app onto her phone, hoping that she’ll use it to make new friends once she moves away from Monroeville, Alabama.
