So Big · Character

Pauline

Selina's beautiful, restless friend who marries into Storm money and presides over thirteen servants with a lifted eyebrow.

supporting

Also known as Paula, Paula Arnold, Paula Storm

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in So Big, Pauline is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Paula is described as dark, slim, and vivacious, with a love of luxury.

In the storyChapter XIVOpen this moment free

See Pauline in Chapter XIV Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Paula — Pauline Arnold, later Paula Storm — is the glittering counterexample to Selina's grubbing life, a woman who trades beauty and charm for a lakefront estate, rose-brocade guest rooms, and a husband who telephones that he'll be late. She is generous, careless, and entirely at home in the world of money that Dirk covets, and she gives him his first real taste of how the other half lives. Her ease and her emptiness both matter: she shows the reader what Dirk is reaching for, and how little it actually nourishes.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Pauline sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Pauline in i

Character Web

22 connections

A slice of how Pauline sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Romantic
Rivalry
Social
Other

Character groups

Chicago Elite Circle
Protagonist

+17 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it reveals the central psychological crisis: Selina’s entire id…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Dirk DeJong
romantic · ambivalent
A passionate but ultimately doomed love affair marked by Dirk's infatuation and Pauline's… How this plays out →
Selina DeJong
rivalry · negative
Julie Hempel
social · ambivalent
Dirk DeJong
romantic · ambivalent
A passionate but ultimately doomed love affair marked by Dirk's infatuation and Pauline's… How this plays out →
Julie Hempel
social · ambivalent
Dirk DeJong
romantic · ambivalent
A passionate but ultimately doomed love affair marked by Dirk's infatuation and Pauline's… How this plays out →
Julie Hempel
social · ambivalent
Selina DeJong
rivalry · negative

Dirk DeJong
A passionate but ultimately doomed love affair marked by Dirk's infatuation and Pauline's manipulative charm.
Selina DeJong
A tense, antagonistic relationship as Pauline views Selina as a rival for Dirk's affection and approval.
Julie Hempel
A superficial friendship between two society women, bonded by gossip and shared social circles.
Dirk DeJong
A passionate but ultimately doomed love affair marked by Dirk's infatuation and Pauline's manipulative charm.
Julie Hempel
A superficial friendship between two society women, bonded by gossip and shared social circles.
Dirk DeJong
A passionate but ultimately doomed love affair marked by Dirk's infatuation and Pauline's manipulative charm.
Julie Hempel
A superficial friendship between two society women, bonded by gossip and shared social circles.
Selina DeJong
A tense, antagonistic relationship as Pauline views Selina as a rival for Dirk's affection and approval.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Pauline in i

In the story

Pauline appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter XIV
Paula is described as dark, slim, and vivacious, with a love of luxury. She drives a car, attends parties, and openly states she will have to marry money. Dirk is strongly attracted to her.
XV
Picks Dirk up in her roadster, shows him her stables and coach house, and tries to engage him in riding and driving.
XVI
Paula Storm is mentioned as being 'insane about Dirk' and spending too much time with him, though she refuses to divorce her husband Theodore Storm.
Chapter XVII
Helped Dirk furnish his apartment, which Selina finds uninviting.
Chapter XVIII
Paula is Dirk's wife, who expresses guarded and unenthusiastic opinions about Dallas O'Mara, hinting at jealousy or concern.
XIX
Hosts a dinner for General Goguet and Roelf Pool; described as 'too gay' and irritating Dirk with her mannerisms.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Pauline unlock in the free preview.

See Pauline in i

See Pauline in Chapter XIV