Tony, Mr Peach and the doctors
Tony
Tony is Joy’s boss at the betting office. He is an unpleasant, domineering character. Despite being married, he makes sexual advances towards Joy. He exploits her vulnerability for his own sexual gain, eventually seducing her in her own home. He speaks to her condescendingly:
Say please to Tony
Tony openly comments on Joy's appearance and flirts with her using obvious innuendo:
Night out do you good. Fatten you up a bit. That's what you need, amongst other things, and I'll see what I can do about those too.
When he collects Joy for the races, Galloway’s description portrays him as almost as an animal:
The lips disappear into his beard and the teeth appear, very white and straight.
His association with dog-racing can also link to his primal, predatory nature.
Mr Peach
Mr Peach is the school headmaster. He is patronising and insensitive towards Joy. Like Tony he speaks to her as if she were a small child:
Smile then.I want you to look happy.We all do.Give us a smile.
He only wants Joy to look happy
rather than engage with her true feelings. His is tactless and insensitive in his attempts to console Joy:
I want you to know nobody thinks you are going off your head. And you should try to cheer up’
Doctors 1, 2 and 3
In Foresthouse, Joy refers to the doctors as numbers rather than names. They are presented as caricatures, interchangeable in their attitudes and reluctance to give Joy treatment. This reflects the impersonality of the healthcare system and the institutional nature of the hospital.
