44 pages • 1 hour read
Jen BeaginBig Swiss
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Greta
Greta is the protagonist of Big Swiss. She is a trauma survivor who has experienced sexual assault and feels guilty for her mother’s death by suicide when she was a child. Greta’s relationship to her trauma informs her characterization throughout the novel.
The narrative is told in the third person limited point-of-view from Greta’s perspective. The narrative gives insight into Greta’s worldview and behavior through free and indirect discourse while keeping her psyche partially hidden. Greta has started a new chapter in her life. She left a stable and healthy long-term relationship to move across the country, start a new career, and outrun her problems. In Hudson, New York, Greta is lonely, impoverished, and without prospects. Greta works as a transcriptionist for a new-age sex and relationship therapist, Om, in her new home of Hudson, New York. Greta enjoys her job as a transcriber of Om’s therapy sessions because it gives her the opportunity to stay at home and create a false intimacy with his patients from a distance. Rather than actually develop meaningful relationships with new people, Greta’s audio tapes of the therapy sessions make her believe that she knows deep layers of people, humanity, and life itself. Greta’s voyeurism fills the role of human connection for her, which has disastrous consequences when she begins an affair with one of Om’s patients, Big Swiss.
Greta becomes so intoxicated by the prospect of Big Swiss that she tricks, manipulates, and lies until Big Swiss is in a sexual and emotional relationship with her. Though Greta gets what she wants, her relationship is built on lies and only worsens her self-destructive habits. Greta learns that her manipulation of Big Swiss, despite the genuine attraction, is a symptom of her unresolved traumas. When Greta was 13, she was sent away to a horse-riding camp so her mother could die by suicide. At the camp, a horse broke her foot. She attaches herself to Big Swiss and projects her desires onto Big Swiss to deflect from her own internal turmoil. Greta’s lies are eventually discovered, and Om and Big Swiss respond with kindness to help her grow. By the end of the novel, Greta learns to face her trauma and begin the process of healing.
Big Swiss/Flavia
Big Swiss (whose real name is Flavia) is Greta’s love interest and foil. She is a Swiss woman whose picture-perfect life contrasts against Greta’s marginalized life. Big Swiss goes to Om for therapy to deal with her inability to have an orgasm. Big Swiss suffered a major assault when she was younger by a man named Keith. Keith is set to be released from prison soon when the novel begins. Big Swiss is stoic about her trauma; she refuses to let the attack inform her entire persona. Big Swiss wants to live rationally and happily. She accepts and confronts what happened to her, but she doesn’t want to be identified through her victimhood. Big Swiss’s ability to confront her trauma contrasts against Greta, who flees from her trauma. Big Swiss is attracted to Greta before Greta even knows who she is in person. Big Swiss readily participates in an affair with Greta, which helps her achieve orgasm. Big Swiss is different than Greta in fundamental ways, but they connect sexually. Big Swiss views their affair as a necessary adventure in her life, while for Greta it is deeper.
Big Swiss holds Greta accountable for her lies and deception, but even the revelations of Greta’s voyeurism can’t stop Big Swiss’s attraction to her. Big Swiss finds room in her heart to help Greta when Greta needs her the most. Though they ultimately break up, Big Swiss helps Greta deal with emergencies and even extends the generosity to be open to continuing a friendship with Greta. Big Swiss has a deep sense of self-reflection that helps her contextualize the difficult moments in her life, including the saga of Greta. Even though Greta abuses the power she has over Big Swiss, Big Swiss holds her own power as well. She has a more stable life than Greta. She lives in a nice house, has a kind husband, a solid career, and goals for her future. Greta accuses Big Swiss of “slumming” with her, highlighting the severe class differences between the women. At every turn, Greta and Big Swiss are foils to one another that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each character.
Om
Om is a sex and relationship therapist. His qualifications are questionable, and his methodology is often eccentric and new-age. He helps Big Swiss open up about her assault. Crucially, he forgives Greta for violating the sacred trust of his practice. He is generous with his empathy and chooses to see Greta as traumatized and not a morally bad person. He helps Greta get to the root cause of her dysfunctional behavior. Om is the only therapist Greta listens to. She moved to Hudson because of another therapist whom she was persuaded to see by her ex-boyfriend. Om’s intervention helps place Greta on the path of healing and self-discovery.
Sabine
Sabine is Greta’s good friend. She owns a dilapidated house that she loves for its imperfections. Sabine is generous with her home and welcomes in all sorts of people and animals, including a beehive and miniature donkeys at the novel’s conclusion. Sabine takes Greta in when she wants a new start and has nowhere to go. Sabine’s generosity allows her to avoid her own internal conflicts. Sabine has recently lost out on her stable financial situation, and she has a cocaine addiction. By the end of the novel, Sabine moves on from her drug dependency and focuses on healing her trauma alongside Greta.
