The Last Mrs. Parrish

Lana Crump stole the identity of a missing girl named Amber Patterson prior to the events of the novel. The reader spends most of the book knowing this character as Amber. She is a criminal and a con artist, although the details of her crimes are not brought to light until the novel’s conclusion. Amber begins the novel appearing unattractive and unassuming. She wears clothes that are unflattering and dowdy. Jackson says of her: “dirty-dishwater hair, the ugly glasses, and don’t get me started on her lack of fashion sense” (322). She wears little makeup. Her appearance is carefully created so that she may get close to Daphne without arousing suspicion, believing that if she is unattractive, Daphne will not suspect her true motives. After Amber begins working for Jackson, she undergoes a makeover. She dyes her hair ash blonde, begins wearing makeup, and has her teeth whitened.

Amber quickly is established as one of the main antagonists of the novel. She first connects with Daphne by pretending she has a sister who died of the same disease Daphne’s did. Her lies escalate until she pretends to have been sexually harassed by her boss and sexually assaulted by her father and a past lover, all to get closer to Jackson. She becomes pregnant to force Jackson to marry her, threatening to get an abortion when he does not move quickly enough. Even after her plan succeeds, Amber continues to be malicious, forcing Daphne and her daughters to see a portrait of her naked and manipulating the children to think Jackson no longer loves them. When, at the novel’s close, Daphne reveals Amber’s false accusation and its consequences, Amber is established as an unrepentant criminal with a sordid history. The full scope of her crimes and abuses is meant to make it difficult or impossible to sympathize with her.

Amber does not experience change in the text. She remains unapologetic for her past and current crimes and is consumed by jealousy. Her desire to possess Daphne’s life is her sole motivation. Although she has many opportunities to change her path, she refuses because she is too invested in her devious goals. This is Amber’s second attempt to use pregnancy to secure a rich husband, but then he accused the man of sexual assault when he revealed he did not want the child. While Amber is undeniably clever, she does not learn from past mistakes and shows no effort to grow as a person. Her role as a flat, villainous character makes the reader root for Daphne and hope Amber will be brought to justice.