Seneca Character Analysis

Seneca is the third woman to come to the Convent. As a child, she was abandoned by her guardian Jean––a girl who Seneca believed to be her sister but who in fact was her mother. Jean left behind a letter written in lipstick, which Seneca keeps for the rest of her life. Jean’s departure instills Seneca with low self-esteem and a fear of abandonment. She is desperate to please others, which leaves her trapped in a relationship with her abusive boyfriend Eddie Turtle. They remain a couple even after Eddie goes to prison; Seneca finally leaves him when Eddie’s own mother advises her to do so. Seneca then falls into a controlling relationship with a wealthy married woman, who dismisses Seneca when her husband returns. Seneca hitchhikes around the country, ultimately winding up in Ruby, where she sees Sweetie Fleetwood and is drawn to her suffering. Seneca follows Sweetie to the Convent, where the other women welcome her. She has a habit of self-harm, which she tries to hide from the women at the Convent.