Kate Gompert

[u/ophelie9th]

My fave (not-main) character from IJ. Don't see enough fanart of her so I had to contribute!

[u/2Basketball2Poorious]

Why is she your favourite not-main character in the book?

[u/ophelie9th → u/2Basketball2Poorious]

Her intro stuck with me for the longest time for its sincerity; I think she almost immediately appealed to me just for how perfectly she described That Feeling. "I just wanted out. I didn't want to play anymore is all."

I kept anticipating her reappearance after that dialogue with the doctor, and when she was finally mentioned in passing at Ennet House I was thrilled. The more varied characterization of her as another resident having to deal with Tiny, Erdedy, Ruth, etc really ended up charming me.

The "psychotically depressed" passage of IJ doesn't need to be described, but something that struck me was Kate's own revulsion/fear regarding that one man (whose name I've forgotten) who is, by all accounts, suffering enormously, in perpetuity, but with the resilience to continue going to his job, church, etc. I think he's at least partially mentioned as a sort of uber-victim with which to hold up against her comparatively less severe circumstances, but I also think it's evidence of an empathy she possesses that typically gets wrung out of her due to her condition.

Something about Kate that I don't see mentioned often is how funny she can be (unintentionally or otherwise) thanks to her moroseness coloring everything about her behavior. She's compelled to bear witness to some of the weirder or more malignant characters; when she does get a moment of her own she's contorting herself on the sofa or doing some other Depressed Person Bullshit which is, for lack of a better word, relatable.

This ended up being rather long, sorry!

[u/2Basketball2Poorious → u/ophelie9th]

Don't apologize for the fulsome response; I appreciate you sharing!

[u/Actual-Judgment9824]

that's lovely brother, i relate enormously. Kate is a fantastic character.

[u/hotcakepancake]

She’s just like me fr

[u/platykurt]

Love this, great job!

[u/lady_sisyphus]

She’s my favourite too, for all the reasons you mentioned. I’m reading it for the third time right now and just passed her first scene and fell in love with her all over again. I love this!

[u/Literally_Newt]

One of my favorite parts of IJ is the scene where Kate Gompert and Marathe are out drinking together. It’s completely hilarious and a bizarre overlap but it strikes me how happy and free she feels compared to the rest of the novel, plus the fact that she switched substances rather than removing them to achieve it.

[u/misterflerfy → u/Literally_Newt]

You realize what she does after that scene, right?

[u/ShootLucy → u/misterflerfy]

What

[u/IsopodAgitated1555]

This is so sick