Elizabeth
Elizabeth is the main character of 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl. She grew up eating at MacDonald’s and other fast food restaurants together with her mother. She then developed the same habit with her best friend, Mel. Elizabeth has many nicknames that can be explained as different phases of her life: “Lizzy”, “Beth” “Elizabeth” and finally “Liz”. She is extremely self-conscious and thinks of herself very lowly.
Mel
Mel is Elizabeth’s best friend. She is the same age as Elizabeth and equally overweight. Instead of hating her body, she embraces it, believing that she is curvy and attractive. She enjoys male attention, which is a trait she carries her whole life. Mel and Elizabeth lose contact at a part in time, though they reconnect at the ending of the book.
Tom
Tom is Elizabeth’s boyfriend, husband and finally ex-husband. He likes Elizabeth with a little extra fat and has a thing for obese women, which is clear because he watches porn featuring obese women. Tom is a part of Elizabeth’s pride, as she didn’t believe anyone could love her while she was fat.
