Shrines of Gaiety

Minnie is one of the “lost girls” of the book. She first appears in Chapter 13 when Frobisher is called to examine her body in the morgue. Frobisher notes that the anonymous dead girl (identity not yet known) has a locket around her neck. Inside are photos of Minnie’s mother and her dog. The locket is a symbolic representation of the many “lost girls,” unidentified and unclaimed that Frobisher encounters throughout the narrative. The locket personalizes the unknown body, reminding the reader that these unnamed victims have backstories—they had dreams and people who loved them and miss them. The physical object in itself represents such a body, presented unassumingly to the world but concealing inside it memories and feelings of love. Freda is the counterpoint to Minnie and seems constantly in danger of becoming a “lost girl” just like her. These “lost girls” are a sore point for Frobisher, as he usually encounters them only after they’re dead—the best he can do is identify them, in most cases, using items such as this locket.

It's not until Chapter 56 that Minnie’s identity is known. Her mother comes to the police station to report her missing, and Frobisher is able to identify the girl because the mother knows what photos Minnie’s locket holds.