Erin Character Analysis in Educated

One of Shawn’s old girlfriends. Tara writes to her once they’re both older in hopes of finding “evidence” of Shawn’s abusive personality that others can corroborate—Erin tells Tara a story about a time when Shawn physically attacked her, slamming her head against a wall. Though Erin seems like an ally, Tara eventually discovers that she has been communicating with Faye about Tara’s faithlessness and corruption.

Erin Character Timeline in Educated

The timeline below shows where the character Erin appears in Educated. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Memory, History, and Subjectivity Theme Icon

Family, Abuse, and Entrapment Theme Icon

Shawn dumps Sadie and starts seeing an old girlfriend named Erin. When Charles and Sadie start going out, Shawn becomes irate. He takes Tara on a... (full context)

Desperate to unravel the past she feels folding in on her, Tara emails Erin, one of Shawn’s old girlfriends to ask whether her memories of Shawn’s abuse are “deranged.”... (full context)

...an email, she sees another exchange pulled up on the screen—a chain between Mother and Erin, in which Mother berates Tara for demonizing Shawn and Erin agrees that Tara is disturbed... (full context)