In the beginning of the book we come to understand that Olive is brutally honest and very straightforward and also that she is a large women. Olive is stubborn to everyone, and no one influences her or lets them affect her way of life. She will do all that is necessary to complete someone she wants done. She is so stubborn that even in a possible life threatening situation, she tells praying lady to “...shut up...” (121). Olive refuses to accept any concept of religion keeping to her static nature. On top of this, Olive admits to being obese but cares nothing of it and continues to live her way. Although different stories that were often very touching and brought out Olives caring side that may make her seem dynamic, but overall Olive doesn’t stray from the path of brutal honesty and stubbornness.
Olive Kitteridge sets the scene set in typical small, cold, northern Maine town called Crosby. The Crosby was carefully chosen place because it connects with themes relative to the book. Suicide is a prevalent theme in this novel and it is a sensitive and touchy topic just the way to cold can make you feel when you are exposed. Suicide often comes with a feeling of loneliness just as a small town can give you. But in a small town, there is always a sense of community and collectiveness. In a community, everyone helps each other and in Olive Kitteridge, it has been connecting individual stories taking place in different places and narrated by different characters that build on top of the other to give us a story in whole.
A key secondary character that compliments Olive is Kevin. He became an psychiatrist to interpret other people hoping to help himself understand his own integral problems. Suicide has crossed Kevin’s mind when he returns to his childhood home but he was once stopped by a simple conversation between Olive and him, although Olive is completely unaware of the real danger Kevin was in. Not long after, a girl falls into the ocean and cannot swim...