Short Fiction · Character

Marcia Tarbox

A vivacious young woman who marries a brilliant but naive man.

minor

Also known as Hume, Marcia, Marcia Hume Tarbox, the Hume, young Marcia

First appearance: Head and Shoulders

Marcia Tarbox shows up with force in Head and Shoulders. The page is where that presence becomes real.

A lively chorus girl who moves into the apartment below Horace.

In the storyHead and ShouldersOpen this moment free

Marcia Tarbox first appears in 0005 head and shoulders.

In Head and Shoulders: A lively chorus girl who moves into the apartment below Horace. She marries him and later becomes a successful writer, reversing their intellectual roles.

Later, in I: A nineteen-year-old actress performing in 'Home James' at the Shubert, who visits Horace's study on a dare from Charlie Moon.

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Character Web

5 connections

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Character groups

Varied fates and transformations
Social climbers and romantics
Love and obsession
Love and ambition

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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In the story

Marcia Tarbox appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Head and Shoulders
A lively chorus girl who moves into the apartment below Horace. She marries him and later becomes a successful writer, reversing their intellectual roles.
I
A nineteen-year-old actress performing in 'Home James' at the Shubert, who visits Horace's study on a dare from Charlie Moon.
III
Performs on stage, feels stage fright and revulsion, then returns to her apartment where Horace proposes.
IV
Marries Horace, continues her show, writes a book during her illness, and becomes pregnant.
Sandra Pepys, Syncopated
Achieves literary fame with her serialized novel, negotiates a lucrative contract, and moves the family to a Westchester bungalow while balancing motherhood and writing.

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See Marcia Tarbox in Head and Shoulders