Muriel’s Father Character Analysis

Muriel’s father, like Muriel’s mother, is concerned about Seymour’s mental state. During their phone call, Muriel’s mother implies that Muriel’s father has been speaking with a doctor (likely a psychiatrist) about some of Seymour’s recent concerning behaviors, such as crashing Muriel’s father’s car into a tree and asking Muriel’s aging grandmother about her plans for dying. Throughout this phone conversation, Muriel’s mother expresses some irritation with her husband—when explaining how Muriel’s father sought Dr. Sivetski’s advice, Muriel’s mother says, “He told him everything. At least, he said he did—you know your father.” And when Muriel explains that she tried to call twice the previous night, her mother says, “I told your father you’d probably call last night. But, no, he had to—[…]”. Both of these comments suggests that the parents’ marriage may have some level of animosity to it, or perhaps that Muriel’s father isn’t exactly dependable.