Minor Characters In The Outsider
When Eva is first introduced, she trys to be a "savior" and save Cross from the communist party. Cross arrives at the house of a man that he met on the train, and he is introduced to members of a communist party, which also included Eva's husband, Gil. They would like Cross to be apart of the party, and Gil offers to let him stay with them at the apartment he and Eva share. Upon first arriving, Gil leaves for a luncheon and Cross and Eva are left to converse. They talk of Eva's artwork and theories they have about different types of art. Eva also leaves shortly, and Cross finds himself alone in the apartment. After snooping around a little, Cross discovers Eva's diary. Reading a couple pages, he finds how Eva became involved with the Communist party. In her last entry she writes, "And they're bringing him into the party! Another victim? I wish I could talk to him and tell him something... colored people are so trusting and na'e... He's going to be misled by Gil, just as I have been" (Page 285). Right away Eva assumes that Cross is a stereotypical African American man of that time period. She hardly knows him, but she is taking a nurturing role and wants to keep him from harm. Eva is playing the part of "savior" and wants to keep Cross from becoming involved in the party. Her diary refers to him as a "victim," which shows how little she knows him. This becomes Cross' first interaction with "society" since his existential metamorphosis, and Eva's reaction somewhat foreshadows an unhappy ending with the party. Cross' god-like attitude makes him believe that the party can not take advantage of him and he ignores the warning. The party hurt Eva mentally, and she wants to save others from having the same thing happen to them.
Although Eva trys to play the savior to Cross, but in actuality, she puts herself and Cross in a garden of Eden situation without realizing it. When Cross and Eva first meet, Cross carefully observes her...
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