46 pages • 1-hour read
Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame
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Character Analysis
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of rape and illness.
Jenny Quinn
Jenny Quinn is the 77-year-old protagonist of Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame. The novel chronicles her teenage pregnancy in a series of flashbacks alongside the main narrative, which focuses on her experiences as a contestant on the fictional baking competition show, Britain Bakes. The novel suggests that Jenny’s time on the show helped her to build back confidence that was damaged in her teenage years. As a teenager, Jenny was shamed by her family when she became pregnant after her married boyfriend coerced her into unprotected sex. Although adult Jenny feels that her pregnancy happened in “a different lifetime” (16), the novel suggests that the shame of the pregnancy and the difficulty of carrying the secret “never lessened with the passing of time” (43), and it affected her well into her adult life. Jenny’s struggles to come to terms with her past are an important part of her character’s journey and are reflected in the novel’s frequent flashbacks.
The experience of competing on Britain Bakes helps to build back the confidence Jenny lost after being shamed for her pregnancy. Early in the novel, Jenny worries that her application to the show will fail, and that she is “deluded” to think that “she was anything other than an old lady who enjoyed baking” (10). Because she “never excelled academically, achieved career success, or raised a family of her own” (46), Jenny worries that she will not be accepted into the show. Even after she is accepted, she worries that she might “go home in the first week” or that producers “put [her] in the show for a laugh” (129, 141). Jenny’s early apprehensions reflect her low self-esteem, which the novel implies is tied to the shame and rejection she felt as a teenage mother, a connection to one of the novel’s important themes, the Mistreatment of Pregnant Women and Girls in the 20th Century.
As the novel progresses, Jenny finds new confidence through her success on Britain Bakes. After winning the coveted golden whisk in the second week, Jenny reveals that she finally “felt good enough” to be on the show after months of feeling inadequate (203). This initial victory gives Jenny the confidence to continue in the competition, and she begins to visualize herself winning, “her mind wandering to thoughts of telling Bernard of her success, the title of Britain Bakes finalist, the sense of having achieved” (264). The novel suggests that it’s only after Jenny makes the Britain Bakes final that she finally feels “content within herself” (353). Jenny is a dynamic character, and her success on Britain Bakes helps her to build back confidence and self-esteem that she lost during her traumatic teenage pregnancy, completing her character arc.
Bernard Quinn
Bernard Quinn is the husband of protagonist Jenny and the most important person in her life. The novel’s depiction of Bernard highlights the importance of their 60-year marriage to Jenny’s sense of self, her preoccupation with his death, and his kindness. In her application for Britain Bakes, Jenny writes, “[M]y biggest achievement is my marriage to my husband, Bernard” (46). When she is separated from him for the first time in 60 years for filming, she reflects that their relationship is “her proudest recipe” because it “had been tweaked and modified over the course of a lifetime” (143). The fact that Jenny centers her relationship with Bernard in her consideration of Britain Bakes reflects the importance of their marriage, and Bernard himself, to her sense of self.
Bernard experiences a series of health scares over the course of the novel that force Jenny to confront his mortality, and her fears often focus on Bernard’s tangible presence in her life. Early in the novel, she imagines the day when Bernard dies and she is “left alone staring at his empty chair […] an imprint of someone no longer on this earth” (6) Later, she imagines “clearing his wardrobe after he had gone, each shirt, each bow tie, a memory of him” (44). In these passages, the image of domestic objects standing in mourning for Bernard reflects Jenny’s fears of living without him. Jenny’s fears about Bernard’s health lead her to quit the show, as she doesn’t want to risk spending time away from him. Jenny’s concern for Bernard’s life and her fears about his death reflect his intense importance in her life.
Bernard’s defining characteristic is his kindness. Like Azeez, Bernard is repeatedly described as having “kind” eyes, and Jenny describes him as “the kindest man I know” (210). Bernard’s kindness is most evident in his treatment of Jenny’s two secrets: her Britain Bakes application and her teenage pregnancy. Although Bernard is hurt that Jenny applied to Britain Bakes without telling him, he immediately supports her efforts, taking countless trips to the grocery store to supply her bakes. Bernard is similarly hurt when he learns that Jenny hid her teenage pregnancy from him for 60 years. However, he quickly prioritizes her desire to reconnect with her son, researching options and eventually driving her through the snow to meet him. In both instances, Bernard not only forgives Jenny, but also supports her materially and emotionally in taking the next steps. Bernard’s kindness acts as a counterweight to Jenny’s constant self-doubt, revealing their strength as a couple.
Azeez
Azeez is a young, gay Britain Bakes contestant who makes it to the final alongside Jenny Quinn and Sorcha. He becomes an important source of support for Jenny throughout the competition. Azeez is defined by his kind nature and by the instant friendship he develops with Jenny despite their differences. Azeez is repeatedly described as “kind,” offering a stark contrast to mean-girl influencer Sorcha. On the first night of filming, Azeez takes “a detour to walk [Jenny] to her room” (148), which is on a different floor than his, in order to make sure she safely navigates her new surroundings. He is considerate of Jenny’s needs throughout filming, escorting her to and from the studio and station.
The novel’s first introduction to Azeez describes his ears as “brackets around his face, just like Bernard’s, peeping out of his shiny black hair” (67). This comparison to Bernard reflects the fact that Jenny feels immediately comfortable around Azeez: The second time they meet, Jenny feels “an urge to throw her arms around him” (144). As a result of this instant chemistry, Jenny and Azeez become close friends early in the competition despite the apparent differences in their age, sexuality, and background. Azeez suggests that their shared experience on Britain Bakes allows them to bridge these differences, noting that “it’s nice to finally speak to someone that’s been going through all the same stuff” and lamenting that no one else in their lives “really gets it” (144). Azeez’s friendship with Jenny illustrates how common interests can successfully bring people of different backgrounds together.
Sorcha
Sorcha is an influencer and a Britain Bakes contestant who makes it to the final alongside Jenny Quinn and Azeez. The novel depicts her as a stereotypical mean girl, competing in the show in order to find fame rather than for the love of baking. The novel’s introduction to Sorcha reflects her lack of consideration for others: When asked not to film the Britain Bakes audition, she “rolled her eyes, pushing her phone back into her pocket” momentarily before pulling it back out when the producer left (75). Later, during filming of Britain Bakes, Sorcha falls into “hysterical giggles,” “sniggering” and “smirking” when another contestant’s bake falls apart during a crucial moment of judging (198, 199). Moments before Jenny, Azeez, and Sorcha are set to begin filming the final, Sorcha rudely suggests that Jenny is lucky to be there since she skipped a week of competition when Bernard was hospitalized. These episodes paint Sorcha as a dismissive mean girl, celebrating her competitors’ embarrassing moments and speaking with the intent to hurt, juxtaposing her with Jenny’s more positive relationship with Azeez.
The novel depicts Sorcha as the kind of reality television contestant who is more interested in fame than competition. From the first audition, Sorcha films behind-the-scenes content, explaining to Jenny that she’s trying to document “my journey, for my brand” (73). When Jenny asks about her audition, Sorcha says that “the baking went well, but really it’s about the whole package” because “it’s television at the end of the day” (74). These episodes suggest that, from the beginning, Sorcha has a cynical attitude toward the competition, focusing on how television can help her build her personal brand.
Mary
Mary is a young girl who becomes Jenny’s only friend at the Grant Mother and Baby Home. She is described has having skin “so pale that Jenny could see the green pattern of her veins” and “clear blue eyes [that] sat above heavy gray circles” (220). Mary is characterized by her shocking youth and the traumatic circumstances of her pregnancy, reflecting the novel’s thematic interest in the Mistreatment of Pregnant Women and Girls in the 20th Century. Although Mary’s age is never given, she is repeatedly described in Jenny’s memories as “childlike,” suggesting that she is even younger than the 16-year-old Jenny. After the girls meet, Jenny feels “an overwhelming compulsion to take care of her” (232), again highlighting her age and vulnerability. The novel’s depiction of Mary as a frail child in need of guidance suggests that she is not physically or emotionally prepared for pregnancy and childbirth.
The novel strongly implies that Mary became pregnant as a result of rape by her stepfather. Although Mary refuses to speak about the father of her baby, the novel’s pointed reference to “her strained relationship with her stepfather, whom her mother defended at all costs,” suggests that Mary may have been assaulted by her stepfather then sent to the mother and baby home when she became pregnant (232). The fact that Mary expects to “hate” her baby and is “scared [the baby] would look like” its father further suggests that she became pregnant in traumatic circumstances (270). As a young, vulnerable girl forced into a pregnancy under violent circumstances, Mary is a poignant example of the mistreatment of girls in the mid-20th century.
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