56 pages 1 hour read

Sister Souljah

The Coldest Winter Ever

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1999

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Character Analysis

Winter Santiaga

The first-person protagonist of the novel, Winter, is best described as highly self-absorbed, overtly sexual, and intensely beautiful. Being raised by a wealthy drug lord, her entire childhood and much of her adolescence was spoiled with decadence. She constantly had the fanciest designer clothes, diamond jewelry, and her father’s complete attention. However, once her father is arrested, the wealth that she was so accustomed to is suddenly taken away. When she finds herself destitute and without family after her father is imprisoned, she becomes even more self-centered, continually looking for ways to maintain her excessive shopping habits and luxurious lifestyle, often at the expense of the people around her.

While Winter really wants to continue her father’s business after he’s locked up, she finds that the men around her would rather use her sexually than make her a business partner. On many occasions, she indulges these men, letting them use her for sexual gratification while she uses them for their money and possessions. Throughout the novel, Winter is a highly-sexualized character. She admits that she has been having sex since she was 12, and she is often the one pursuing the encounters. She only engages with either rich or attractive men.