Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in Clover City, Texas, a small town filled with small-minded people. She was raised by her Aunt Lucy so that her mom could compete in beauty pageants. But after the recent death of her aunt, Willowdean is forced to live with her picture-perfect but demanding mother. As an example of how mean her mother is, she nicknamed her daughter Dumplin’ because she is plus-sized.
Profession… student and part-time waitress at Harpy’s, the local diner. She prefers Harpy’s because her school has too many bullies.
Interests… listening to Dolly Parton and putting on Dolly parties. Her Aunt Lucy turned her on to Dolly Parton. Dolly’s lyrics are inspiring to fair-haired Willowdean, especially “This dumb blonde ain’t nobody’s fool.”
Relationship Status… single. Willowdean has a crush on her co-worker Bo, but she thinks he would never go for her.
Challenge… winning a pageant called Miss Teen Bluebonnet as a self-proclaimed fat girl. She’s determined to show the beauty-obsessed town that it’s not what’s on the outside that’s truly important, but rather what is on the inside. With the help of some drag queens, Willowdeen is getting makeover deserving of a true beauty queen.
Personality… spirited, warm, and sensitive. Willowdean may be the underdog in the pageant and an outcast at her school, but she’s a winner no matter what happens. Willowdean describes her personality the best: "Sometimes figuring out who you are means understanding that we are a mosaic of experiences. I'm Dumplin'. And Will and Willowdean. I'm fat. I'm happy. I'm insecure. I'm bold."
Get to Know her in...
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Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed "Dumplin'" by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American-beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked—until Will takes a job at Harpy's, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn't surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back. Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she'll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.
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To prove a point about measuring up and fitting in, Texas teen Willowdean “Dumplin’” Dickson enters a local pageant run by her ex-beauty queen mom.
