The New Boyfriend Character Analysis

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Ghosts; figures that haunt and torment the living due to unfinished business. They have long been a part of society, and have frequently appeared in literature throughout the ages. In “The New Boyfriend”, written by Kelly Link, ghost appear once again. The protagonist, Immy Imogen falls in love with a ghost that inhabits her friend, Ainslie’s, fake boyfriend, Mint. She has a large shock when she finds that it is two ghosts inside of Mint. However, the true ghost haunting Immy is not Mint, but rather her split nature. Immy is haunted by the duality of her nature, because she is both the best friend as well as the best enemy of Ainslie. Immy’s dual nature is born from her mixed feelings towards Ainslie. Immy is very envious of Ainslie and yet she still calls herself Ainslie’s best friend. This is because Immy and Ainslie’s friendship is fake. Immy acts like Ainslie’s friend to her face but acts like her enemy behind her back due to her enormous envy. Immy remarks in the very beginning how envious she is of Ainslie, asking, “Why does Ainslie always get what Immy wants?” (217). In Immy’s eyes, anything she cannot have is obtained by Ainslie who already has everything. Despite this resentment, Immy still pretends to be Ainslie’s friend because she cannot seem to cut this friendship off. She struggles with these feelings constantly and there are moments where this manifests in her actions. When Immy breaks into Ainslie’s house to see Mint secretly, she …show more content…

She has caged herself in a fake friendship because of her want for affection which she yearns for. However, she does not truly feel any affection for Ainslie, nor does Mint truly love her. Immy’s actions are as synthetic as the preprogrammed actions of the fake Boyfriends. She is haunted by her duality. In the end of the story, Immy conquers her dual nature and proves that no ghost will haunt her

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