The Match Factory Girl

A quiet, unassuming young woman who endures a strict home life and social invisibility. Her longing for connection clashes with economic dependence and emotional neglect, pushing her toward desperate choices. She appears passive, yet harbors a growing resolve to break away from her circumstances.

A glamorous yet emotionally distant man who engages with Iris without genuine interest. He treats the relationship as a casual dalliance and shows cold dismissal after the night passes. His response to Iris’s pregnancy reveals a callous indifference to responsibility.

Iris’s mother is controlling and dismissive, prioritizing appearances and her own convenience over Iris’s needs. She embodies the cycle of expectation and neglect that traps Iris at home. This dynamic reinforces Iris’s sense of being used and unseen.

A domineering figure who, along with the mother, imposes rules and boundaries that confine Iris. He illustrates a household environment where emotional support is absent. His presence intensifies Iris’s sense of entrapment.

Iris’s brother provides a fragile foothold of familial support by taking her in after a crisis. He is economically ordinary and emotionally limited, mirroring the broader inability of the family to offer real help. His presence marks a temporary respite from hostility, not a lasting solution.