Gretchen Character Analysis in Erasure

Gretchen is Monk’s half-sister. She is the daughter of Fiona, a woman whom Monk’s father had an affair with while serving overseas. Monk’s father lost contact with Fiona and Gretchen after Fiona broke off the affair and ordered Monk’s father not to contact her. He wrote Gretchen a heartfelt letter but never sent it. Monk eventually tracks Gretchen down and introduces himself, but Gretchen receives him coldly—she has lived a rough life of struggle compared to Monk’s privileged upbringing and feels bitterness toward Monk’s father for never trying to find her. Monk writes Gretchen a check for $100,000 and claims his father meant for Gretchen to have it, though he knows it won’t undo any of the damage his father wrought.

Gretchen Character Timeline in Erasure

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

...up with a postcard to say that the baby is a girl whom she’s named Gretchen. There’s an unsent, unsigned letter addressed to Gretchen from Monk’s father telling her it was... (full context)

...wall. When Monk tells the man he’s looking for Tilly, the man says she’s dead. Gretchen is still alive, though. Monk tells the man that Gretchen is apparently his half-sister. In... (full context)

...hands the man cash, and then the man walks away. Monk rings the bell for Gretchen Hanley’s apartment. After a pause, the door buzzes, and Gretchen—his half-sister—lets him inside. The apartment... (full context)

Monk dislikes Gretchen, but he understands her bitterness. He hands her the letter their father wrote but never... (full context)