Betty Before X

Mrs. Malloy is a foil and counterpoint for Ollie Mae. She is a character who presents as purely positive, with zero malice, guile, or selfishness. When Betty meets Mrs. Malloy, she is a nice woman at church who passes out candy to the children. She is married to Deacon Malloy, who runs a shoe repair store.

Mrs. Malloy is highly observant, generous, idealistic, and religious. She is also optimistic. Mrs. Malloy encourages Betty to find the silver lining in all situations and to embrace the struggle for its own sake. More importantly, she is proactive about her beliefs and convictions. She leads by example in all things. Before Betty knows anything significant about Mrs. Malloy’s work, she is aware that Mrs. Malloy pays attention to her. She intervenes when Ollie Mae is too harsh with Betty at church and has an innate understanding of the dynamic at Betty’s home.

When Betty decides to leave home, Mrs. Malloy takes her in without hesitation. She is committed to Christianity and the ideals of the Housewives’ League, and she appears incapable of ignoring anyone who is suffering. This includes Ollie Mae. Mrs. Malloy never expresses anger or judgment toward Ollie Mae. She doesn’t act possessive of Betty, only protective and loving. She doesn’t compete for Betty’s love or approval; she simply provides her own. Her success at navigating the delicate situation is evident when Ollie Mae responds in kind. She and Mrs. Malloy are not antagonistic in any way, despite the insecurity that Ollie Mae feels at another woman raising her daughter. In fact, one night during dinnertime prayers, Betty is surprised when Mr. Malloy “prays for Ollie Mae. Asks God to touch her heart” (84). Mrs. Malloy’s character in the novel serves as a role model for young Betty and reinforces the book’s themes about The Nature of Love and Personal Growth and Identity, showing that Betty was in part able to become the strong, resilient, kind person she was because of her relationship with Mrs. Malloy.

Mrs. Malloy and her husband do not have children, but she is skilled at making children feel loved and valued. She pays particular attention to creating a perfect birthday party for Betty, aware that she has been overlooked in Ollie Mae’s home. This ability to love young people—and to inspire their love—makes her a perfect example and recruiter for the Housewives’ League.

Mrs. Malloy is also brave and organized. She and Mrs. Peck have a systematic approach to their work, and their demonstrations—such as the boycott at Jerry’s Market—put them at risk. Mrs. Malloy is not an overbearing zealot, however. She never tries to pressure Betty or the other girls into joining the Housewives’ League and its junior chapter. Rather, she has a way of making it sound worthwhile and intriguing while letting the girls make up their minds. The book thereby paints a picture of Mrs. Malloy as a skillful community organizer, someone who understands the complexities of human relationships enough to know how to strike the proper balance in order to aid her community.

Ollie Mae is Betty’s biological mother. She is married to Arthur Burke and is also the mother to three other girls: Shirley, Jimmie, and Juanita. She has a different relationship with Betty than with her other children. Betty observes, “Shirley, Jimmie, and little Juanita call our mother Momma and I call her Ollie Mae. Because Shirley, Jimmie, and little Juanita look like me but not fully like my sisters, since I am the one with a different daddy” (13). Betty reminds Ollie Mae of past mistakes, which she frequently takes out on Betty. The book raises questions about whether Ollie Mae is hard on Betty because she is trying to make Betty better than she was able to be herself. In this way, the book highlights how even Betty’s more complicated childhood relationships shaped her character and played a role in the person Betty became in her adulthood.

Ollie Mae is a complicated character who is uncomfortable in her own skin. She deals with frequent self-loathing, regret, and her agitation manifests in anger more often than not. Betty describes her eyes as looking “sad all the time, even when she was smiling. Her eyes were always apologizing, like she was telling me she loved me but in a different kind of way. Like how you love a mistake that ends up being not so bad after all” (13). Passages like these underscore Betty’s profound compassion for a mother who often failed to meaningfully and consistently show Betty love.

When Ollie asks Betty about Mrs. Malloy, Ollie Mae knows that Mrs. Malloy provides Betty with something that she can’t give. This doesn’t stop Ollie Mae from trying to reach out to Betty, she is simply limited in the feelings she can express. Once when she calls Betty, she notices that Betty sounds hoarse. She immediately gives her a recipe for a honeyed tea that Mrs. Malloy can make to give her relief. She gives Betty a sewing machine as a gift, knowing that it will please Betty, as well as helping her learn a useful skill. But she is not capable of reaching out, embracing Betty, and telling her that she loves her.

In Ollie Mae’s pivotal scene, she takes the pulpit at church while wearing the blouse and skirt that Betty made for her, even though she initially refused to take the gift. She tells the congregation, “I am thanking God today for his grace and mercy” (196). Her mention of grace suggests that she is softening, learning to allow herself some of the grace and forgiveness that God offers to everyone else. Her gratitude for mercy can interpreted as an indication that she feels as if she’s been given another chance despite past mistakes.