“Conversations With Friends” (post 1) by Sally Rooney (post 3): Protagonist unintentionally introduced as student and poet with multiple personality

In “A Conversation with Sally Rooney”( 2018) at the back of this edition of her first novel, she says, “The four central characters came to me almost fully formed, long before I had any real idea of a plot, voice, or setting…People often accuse me of talking about my characters as if they’re real people, truly an unfortunate habit—and my only defense is that, to me, they are” (1, pp. 313-315).

If the author doesn’t recall creating the four central characters, then I can think of two possibilities: Either an alternate personality did create them and provide them to her for this novel, or these “characters” were some of the author’s alternate personalities, who agreed to be used as characters. But I have no way of knowing the actual details.

The first-person narrator, Frances, who says she has “a rich inner life, believe me” (1, p. 14), virtually declares having multiple personality: “Bobbi [her best girlfriend] told me she thought I didn’t have a ‘real personality,’ but she said she meant it as a compliment. Mostly I agreed with her assessment. At any time I felt I could do or say anything at all, and only afterward think: oh, so that’s the kind of person I am” (1, p. 18).

Frances’s host personality “could do or say anything,” depending on which of her alternate personalities had taken control.

Moreover, the host or regular personality is usually not the person’s original personality, may be only a facade, and may itself be composed of several personalities, addressing different social situations.

1. Sally Rooney. Conversations With Friends. New York, Hogarth, 2017.

Added Oct. 2: Reading a little further, with Frances as the first-person narrator, I'm wondering how that worked, if the characters are real people, to her, Sally Rooney (see above). Did Rooney experience herself as switching personalities to become Frances, to narrate as her? Or did Rooney just write down what she heard Frances say? Interviewers should ask Rooney what she meant.