Judging a Book by Its Contents

As Elizabeth Strout characterizes personalities in her 2008 novel, Olive Kitteridge, she associates physical appearance with character traits that members of the story possess.  Strout's technique appeals to me for she disregards a traditional theme in literature, to not judge a book by its cover.  The protagonist, Olive Kitteridge, receives this treatment when a former student of hers had a chance run in with her in chapter two.  Kevin had Olive as a math teacher in seventh grade and recalled liking her while others did not.  However, when they crossed paths later the older Kevin seemed almost intimidated by his former teacher's presence.  At first glance he thought, "Mrs. Kitteridge. Holy shit," that adopts a fearful tone that reminded me of a soldier's reaction to an officer of higher rank (34).  From the perspective of Kevin, Strout continues her description of Olive's presence by proclaiming her "a big woman," which I found synonymous with imposing as a result of her commanding company (34).  Therefore, Strout characterizes Olive as an intimidating character, one that demands the respect of those surrounding her simply by her presence.  Strout dives deeper into her character via physical characteristics during her encounter with Kevin as she notes Olive's "forthright, high-cheekboned expression" that very much reinforces the blunt, condescendingly direct reputation Olive possessed in the eyes of many of the other residents of Crosby, Maine (34).  Strout's use of physical descriptions that relate to the personality of the characters in Olive Kitteridge leads me to believe that the appearance of a person can truly tell you a lot about their identity.  Then again, I believe Strout's added complexity to characters like Olive as the book progresses call for deeper looks into the character of people.  As a result, Strout acknowledges the stereotypes of appearance while also encouraging those that dwell on physical characteristics to explore the personality of someone deeper and find the intricacy of all people.