Petrified Man

The first of the two main characters is Leota, a beautician who works at a salon that Mrs. Fletcher frequents. Her only known physical characteristics are her “yellow” curls and her red-painted fingernails, but Welty thoroughly characterizes her indirectly through her speech and actions. Her southern dialect and syntax are critical not just in conveying Leota’s personality, but also in establishing the specific setting of the Depression-era South.

Leota “gratifies” the customers in her booth not only with perms and shampoos, but also with copious gossip. As the keeper of her clients’ information, she can build trust and rapport with them but is simultaneously capable of hurting and offending them. If she happens to hurt or offend someone, she reacts defensively, never holding herself accountable for her actions. Gossiping lets Leota indulge her shallow and judgmental personality and offers her a sense of power, control, and status in a society that prioritizes her role as a wife (even though in her case, she’s the sole breadwinner). Yet the vain sense of superiority still is not enough to satisfy Leota’s sense of entitlement; someone else is always at fault for her misfortunes.