Hot Milk

Rose is Sofia’s mother, and she is described in the novel as a “hypochondriac,” a term that is now considered outdated. Rose had Sofia with Christos Papastergiadis, a Greek man whom Rose married to upset her family. After Christos left her and Sofia, Rose raised Sofia on her own, working constantly and struggling to provide for her daughter.

At some point between Sofia’s childhood and adulthood, Rose began manifesting mysterious medical symptoms that eluded diagnosis or treatment. As a result, Sofia and Rose swapped roles, with Sofia putting her studies on hold to support Rose. The opening of the novel implies that Sofia and Rose have been seeking treatment from various sources for years, and they are now settled in a pattern of curing one illness only for another to appear.

Rose is the antagonist of the novel in the sense that she is the primary barrier between Sofia and her goal of independence and desire. Rose constantly disparages Sofia, insulting her body, hair, and occupation, even though Sofia sees these flaws as symptoms of her dedication to Rose’s care. However, subtle hints about Rose’s true intentions reveal her love for Sofia, such as her decision to teach Sofia Greek, moments in which Rose jokes with Sofia without insulting her, and scenes like the market where Rose buys a watch, all of which indicate that Rose, too, would like to have a normal, mother-daughter relationship with Sofia.

The critical element in Rose’s treatment of Sofia is that she lies about her legs. Rose walks throughout the novel, though she claims she cannot, which reveals that Rose is only pretending to be ill to force Sofia to remain with her. In the end, Sofia sees Rose walking on the beach, leading to the confrontation that forces Rose to acknowledge her role in suppressing Sofia’s desire for independence.

The purpose of Rose in the novel is to emphasize the difference between “living” and “death” as Gomez describes them. Though Rose is alive, her behavior and complacency in suffering make it so she is effectively “dead,” or incapable of living fully. Since Rose binds Sofia to her living “death,” Sofia, too, is effectively “dead” and unable to grow or explore life. While other characters inform Sofia’s growth, Rose is the defining factor in Sofia’s breakthrough at the end of the novel.

Ingrid is a German woman living in Almeria for the summer with her boyfriend, Matthew. Ingrid is a seamstress. She works repairing and embroidering garments that various companies across the world send to her. She meets Sofia in a bar, and they strike up a fast friendship that quickly becomes sexual.

Ingrid’s involvement in Sofia’s life is critical to Sofia’s growth. They follow similar paths in their sexual awakenings, but Ingrid is unable to fully develop. Whereas Sofia sees her relationship with Ingrid as a scary, exciting experience that informs her burgeoning sexuality, Ingrid is frightened by her attraction to Sofia and cannot commit fully to her own growth. Instead, Ingrid relies on masculine attention to mask her interest in Sofia, which culminates in Ingrid lashing out at Sofia both symbolically and physically.

Ingrid is a supporting character in the text, and she fulfills a specific role of being a “masculine” woman in Sofia’s view, much as Juan becomes a “feminine” man. Ingrid is tall and strong; she is often seen hunting or riding animals, both of which are generally seen as traditionally “masculine” actions. Sofia is frightened by these actions, even stopping Ingrid from killing a lizard, but she is also attracted to Ingrid. Sofia is confused by the fact that Ingrid consistently calls her a “monster,” when, in Sofia’s view, Ingrid is more “monstrous.” However, Sofia comes to understand that Ingrid is actively trying to suppress her sexual desire for Sofia, specifically by flirting with Leonardo and continuing her relationship with Matthew, though Matthew is also sleeping with Julieta.

When Ingrid reveals how she injured her younger sister, Hannah, Sofia sees it as a moment of development in their relationship. However, Ingrid does not want to grow closer to Sofia if it means confronting her own sexuality, which leads her to lash out at Sofia, attempting to drown her and later demanding Sofia’s shirt as payment for the garments Ingrid gave her. The purpose of Ingrid’s character is rooted in Sofia’s initial desire to have Ingrid’s comparatively free lifestyle. Though Ingrid is independent, she cannot confront herself, leading to Sofia eventually breaking away from Ingrid to complete her transformation.

Dr. Gomez owns and runs the Gomez Clinic, which Rose and Sofia seek out as a last resort to cure Rose’s paralysis. Gomez is a sage figure in the text. He often discusses topics by changing the subject or talking around a critical detail. When Rose tries to confront him about her medical issues, he rarely addresses her directly, instead discussing other objects nearby or general practices he recommends.

A critical component of Gomez’s character is that his odd behavior is motivated by the desire to help his patients with the psychological components of their illnesses. By recommending things like walking and driving, he hints that he already knows Rose is pretending to be paralyzed, but he still runs tests and investigates her claims, resulting in the diagnosis that ends the novel.

Gomez is a firm believer in avoiding medication, which becomes an important part of his treatment plan for Rose. He removes medication from her life, which he notes will “free” Sofia and Rose, indicating that he is attempting to treat both Rose and Sofia. His skill as a doctor is revealed when he decides to focus on Rose’s difficulties with drinking water, rather than her issue with walking, since he realizes Rose’s true health issue lies in her throat, not her legs.

Critically, Gomez also gives Sofia the final piece of advice that completes her transformation in the novel, telling her not to let “the dead” interfere with her life. Though Gomez is an intentionally mysterious figure in the text, his actions culminate in a successful treatment plan and diagnosis for both Sofia and Rose.