Caitlin

CHARACTER INTERVIEW / PROFILE

Name: Caitlin Louisa Price, nee Monroe

Background
Birthday: 29/01/82 - Age 33
Place of birth: South West England - Bristol
Parents: Simon & Annette Monroe. Dad died 2006, Mum in 2009
What was important to the people who raised him: Dad - She is successful academically and has a good job and is financially stable. Mum - She is happy and settled with someone who loves her. That she is financially stable.
Siblings: One older sister - Gemma Poole, three years older, lives in Reading
Economic/social status growing up: Working class, but financially secure
Ethnic background: White
Places lived: South West, Bristol. Home town - Halston, North Wilts, now living in Bristol, South Glos.
Current address and phone number: 5, Crescent Heights, Portmarsh Road, Bristol, South Glos BS1 4TS. Tel: [phone]
Education:12 GSCE’s, 4 A Levels, BA in Literature
Favorite subject in school: English, Art, French
Special training: None
Jobs: Forecourt Manager for eight years, Office admin for thirteen years
Salary: Not working
Travel: European holidays, Spain, Canaries, Russia, New York

Friends:Freya Thomas, age 33, Hannah Sutton, age 34, Patrick Self, age 44, Phil Japes, age 65,
How do people view this character: She is friendly, warm, helpful, sympathetic, selfless, funny, introverted, jumpy
Lives with: Husband, Carl Price, dob 18/11/81
Fights with: Carl. He fights with her. Her sister says she doesn't spend enough time with family
Spends time with: Carl, and support group - Patrick
Wishes to spend time with: Hannah, Freya
Who depends on her and why: Elderly next door neighbour - she shops for her and keeps her company sometimes
What people does she most admire: People who have shown strength in overcoming (or learning to live with) adversity
Enemies: Carl, Patrick
Dating, marriage: Married to Carl Price, dob. 18/11/81
Children: None. She miscarried two years ago at 13 weeks
Relationship with God: None

Overall outlook on life: She finds it all very frightening and stressful. Sees no future
Does this character like himself: She detests herself
What, if anything, would she like to change about her life: She would like to escape her husband and then Patrick and regain control over her life, not depending on anybody else, get a job etc
What personal demons haunt him: Childhood sexual, physical, emotional abuse. Masses of guilt at not being around when parents passed away and not being there for her sister. Fear of husband. Fear of Andy
Is she lying to herself about something: She tells herself Carl will stop hurting her. She convinces herself she can escape him. Ditto for Andy
Optimistic/pessimistic: Pessimistic. She believes she is realistic, though.
Real/feigned: She fakes happiness all the time. But she is genuine in her kindness and warmth.
Morality level: She has quite a high level of morals. She hates injustice.
Confidence level: Pretty much non existent, it's been stripped away
Typical day: Making breakfast for Carl. Housework, writing her journal/ letters. CFT Group once a week

Physical appearance
Body type: Slight. 5'2", slim
Posture: Slouches a lot, lowers head a lot
Head shape:Oval
Eyes: Blue
Nose: Not too big, although she has a thing about it being giant sized (she’s glad she didn't inherit her mother’s concord nose)
Mouth: Small but full lips
Hair: Blonde and long, fine, impossible to do anything with it.
Skin: Really fair, burns easily, freckles
Tattoos/piercings/scars: Scar on left little finger, where car door slammed on it, Scars on knees from falling as child, Scars from marriage - wrist, chin, eyebrow, cheek, scar on right hand from burning water, Scars on forearms, top of left arm, stomach and right thigh from self harm, butterfly tattoo on left arm at the top and bow tie on left hand
Voice: Soft, quiet, tendency to laugh nervously a lot
What people notice first: Smile - warm and friendly
Clothing: Dark, nondescript, always trousers, DM boots (purple)
How would he describe himself: Ugly, useless, waste of space, disgusting, hateful, pathetic
Health/disabilities/handicaps: IBS, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, back trouble from falling downstairs and right knee problem from falling over, wrist aches a lot, from breaking it, Temporary loss of sight due to cerebral contusion after being beaten and falling down stairs.

Characteristics
Personality type (choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholy): Melancholy, open
Strongest/weakest character traits: Strongest - warmth, friendliness, weakest - Lets people get away with hurting her
How can the flip side of his strong point be a weakness: It can lead to exhaustion, she gets hurt a lot
How much self-control and self-discipline does she have: Bucket loads. She tolerates horrific physical pain and is able to wait out terror until the right time to leave
What makes her irrationally angry: Rude people
What makes her cry: She doesn’t cry much. She learnt not to. But sometimes when she thinks of her mother, she cries a little and certain songs can also induce a few tears
Fears: Her husband, then Patrick, her faded eye sight, spiders, having no money and nowhere to hide
Talents: Writing, dancing, playing drums, singing
What people like best about her: She is warm, funny, dependable, helpful

Interests and favorites
Political leaning: Left
Collections: Bookmarks, Books, CDs
Food, drink: Loves chocolate, Italian, Chinese, Indian, water, pinot grigio, Hates seafood, offal, game, green smoothies
Music: Loves all kinds, into 90’s pop (Britpop) and also oldies, loves 60’s music, country, Radiohead, Eels
Books: Thrillers (Nicci French, Sophie Hannah, Elizabeth Hayes) and Marian Keyes
Movies: Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Sound of Music, Shawshank Redemption
Sports, recreation: Played tennis (when well), Writing and reading
Did she play in school: Netball and tennis
Color: Purple
Best way to spend a weekend: Relaxing on the sofa, eating chocolate, watching her favourite movies
A great gift for this person: Books, chocolate
Pets: None
Vehicles: Leaves car behind
What large possessions does he own (car, home, furnishings, boat, etc.) Ford Focus, VW Camper (1979), home furnishings, but leaves all these behind to escape. Has nothing. At end, has own home
and which does he like best: Camper Van

Typical expressions
When happy: Eyes sparkle, genuine smile (sometimes her famous ‘cheesy grin’), smile reaches eyes, head tips back, opening body up
When angry: Eyes darken, brow furrows, wrinkle lines at top of nose, mouth opens
When frustrated: Mouth bunches up, eyes narrow, squint
When sad: Mouth in straight line, or down turned, head lowered, eyes blank, sometimes just blank all over, in general

Idiosyncrasies: Saluting magpies, always tucking hair behind ears, Volume has to be set to even numbers, or numbers divisible by 5, has to tap pepsi can twice before opening, restless legs, always taps rhythm to music
Laughs or jeers at: Friends, King of Queens, Vicar of Dibley, Only Fools & Horses, Gavin & Stacey, Billy Connolly
Ways to cheer up this person: Chocolate, hugs, reassurance
Ways to annoy this person: Mock her beliefs, say that abused women should just leave, depressives should just pull themselves together, that kind of thing
Hopes and dreams: Firstly, to be free of her demons. Then, to write about her demons, then to train as a counsellor and help others who have been through similar situations
How does he see himself accomplishing these dreams: She doesn’t. She doesn’t dare to dream of any future.
What’s the worst thing she’s ever done to someone and why: She didn’t help a local girl who (with hindsight) was asking for help. She was tired and wanted to sleep, whilst the local girl threw herself in front of a train
Greatest success: Her Bachelor’s Degree. Becoming free, putting Carl and Andy behind bars
Biggest trauma: Childhood sexual, physical, emotional abuse, then the same throughout her marriage, then being held prisoner with Patrick
Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him: In a school play, age 10, she was the lead part. There was a scene where she had to faint and lie on a campbed. The boys setting up the stage, deliberately didn’t put the bed right, so when she lead on it, it collapsed. She was devastated as she was already paranoid about her weight. The whole hall full of people laughed.
What does she care about most in the world: Survival
Does she have a secret: Only the secrets of the abuse inflicted upon her
If she could do one thing and succeed at it, what would it be: Become a counsellor for abuse victims
She is the kind of person who: Will drop everything to help out someone who needs her
What do you love most about this character: Her quirky sense of humour, her stoicism, her courage
Why will the reader sympathize with this person right away: Yes
How is the character ordinary or extraordinary: Extraordinary in the thing she has experienced and the terrible place she is in at the start of the novel. Ordinary, in that she tries to blend in with the background and never draw attention to herself. Also, her talent for writing is extraordinary
How is his situation ordinary or extraordinary: Extraordinary because of the brink she is teetering over; thankfully, not many people go there. Ordinary, in that she is just a housewife, going about her daily activities

Core Need: Freedom (from past)
Corresponding psychological maneuver (delusions, obsessions,
compulsions, addictions, denials, hysterical ailments, hypochondria, illnesses,
behaviors harming the self, behavior harming others, manias, and phobias): Disordered eating habits, self harm, needing to have only even numbers, or numbers divisible by 5 around her
Anecdote (defining moment): When she finally fights back, does she stay or leave and find new life?
History: Multiple men abused her, choreographed by a relative. Sexual, physical, emotional. Met future husband (Carl Price) at university, they married after she graduated, when she was twenty one (01/11/2003). He quickly became abusive (physical, sexual, emotional).

CAITLIN’S INTRODUCTION

Hi. My name is Caitlin. It’s really nice to meet you, take a seat. Would you like a coffee? Tea? Biscuits? I’m sorry, I’m over the top sometimes.

So, how are you? I’ve been looking forward to making your acquaintance. I’ve heard so much about you (all good, of course). Ha ha.

Right, so I guess you’d like to learn a little about me. There’s not a lot to tell really. Right now, I’m not working. I feel so guilty about it, but my husband feels he should be the breadwinner in our family. I've been married to Carl for eleven years. He's a good man, really he is. But he has such a stressful job. If only he would let me, I could work and he could find another job, one he enjoys. Things could be better then.

I've recently begun attending a psychological course of treatment to help with my low self esteem. It's called Compassion Focussed Therapy and the course leader, Andy, thinks I'm doing really well.

Really, there's nothing more to tell. My life is not extraordinary. I amble along; cooking, cleaning, looking after Carl.
So I guess I should go now. Carl will be home in an hour and if his tea's not on the table...Well. You know.