Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… in Vermont, a place that seems to be the exact opposite of her adopted city, Los Angeles. Mirabelle feels a bit behind when it comes to the games of L.A. social life.
Living… under a crushing student loan of $39,452, which she is slowly paying off at the rate of $45 a month. Her apartment doesn’t have much except for her futon in the living room and the antidepressants in her bathroom. She has been living a relatively empty, mundane life in her small apartment… until recently.
Profession… shopgirl. Sheworks behind the evening glove counter, which is one of the least frequented sections at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Although the job doesn’t pay well, it does have its perks. She recently started dating a customer, a millionaire named Ray Porter who is 35 years her senior. He asked her out by buying a pair of gloves and leaving them for her on her doorstep with a note asking for a date.
Interests… art. Mirabelle is an aspiring artist, spending her free time taking pictures and making drawings. She recently met another struggling artist named Jeremy who is infatuated with her. After a few awkward and unsuccessful dates, Mirabelle decided just to keep him in the “friends” category. She hasn’t seen him much since then after he decided to work as a “roadie” for the band Hot Tears.
Relationship Status… dating Ray. Ray’s unceasing flattery and gifts have turned her world around.
Challenge… finding her way in the large, confusing mess that is Los Angeles. Mirabelle is a lonely soul just looking to find a real relationship and a little artistic success.
Personality… quiet, elegant and shy. Her sensitivity is what makes her vulnerable, and she’s already prone to getting hurt. Mirabelle isn’t used to being paid so much attention. In fact, she seems to be getting too much all at once.
Get to Know her in...
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Mirabelle is a disenchanted salesgirl and aspiring artist who sells gloves and accessories at a department store. She has two men in her life: wealthy divorc
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One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin has written a novella that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life. Martin is profoundly wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart. Mirabelle is the "shopgirl" of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus "selling things that nobody buys anymore . . ." Slightly lost, slightly off-kilter, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still there is something about her that is irresistible. Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman almost twice her age. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love--with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness.
