Debbie Gallagher

Debbie Gallagher

54
    Shameless
Photo Credit: CBS Press

Character Analysis

(Avoiding Spoilers)

Living… in the chaotic Gallagher household in Canaryville, a neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. Debbie is the youngest Gallagher sibling, and the most forgiving and pure of heart. Whenever her alcoholic, absentee father Frank passes out, she’s the one who is sure to put a pillow under his head and have aspirin ready for breakfast.

Profession… student. School is Debbie’s primary source of grief, leading her to skip class out of frustration. She tells her sister and guardian Fiona that, “all anybody ever does is try to copy off me, but no-one wants to sit with me at lunch. Everybody's mean. Middle school's stupid.” She also runs a babysitting service with her older brother Carl to supplement the Gallagher family’s meager income. 

Interests... rapidly changing. A bright, enthusiastic middle-schooler, Debbie can be interested in anything for at least a little while. Still, without either of her parents around, Debbie is being forced to grow up fast, and between school, her babysitting business, and her position as the unofficial caretaker of the Gallagher household, Debbie is busier than a 12 year old has any right to be.

Relationship Status... single. Debbie is just reaching the age where she’s starting to want a boyfriend, a trying enough time for any teenager. But it’s even harder for Debbie – as her outcast status makes the idea of falling in love dangerously appealing.

Challenge… being socially awkward in middle school. The frequent target of her classmates ridicule, Debbie is wise beyond her years and has trouble connecting with her classmates. And as Debbie approaches the cusp of real adolescence, her maturity is soon going to be put to the test. She’s about to reach the age where boy, drugs, and sex are going to become a part of her life – and she wouldn’t be the first Gallagher whose life was derailed by these vices. With her siblings support and her kind heart, can Debbie hope to navigate the choppy waters of adolescence in a broken home? 

Personality… good-hearted. She’s helpful around the house, tolerant of her father Frank, and understanding about her siblings’ shortcomings. She hasn’t entirely given up on her father yet, even after he accidentally crushed her school project. Frank considers her to be sent from the gods.

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