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Samantha Lasher
5 December 2014
Amanda: A Feminist Character from Another Roadside Attraction
Another Roadside Attraction is a modernist book sprinkled with concepts first introduced
by Nietzsche. Amanda is the only female character in the book and one of the most interesting
characters. She loves butterflies, freedom and finding the deeper meaning in life (Robbins 4-6).
The narrator states that she is the “central focus” of the novel (Robbins 4). Few novels have one
central female character and allow her to dictate the style and tone of the book. Amanda is a rare
female character who is strong and powerful in her thoughts on life and introduces a refreshing
feminist voice to an otherwise male dominated story.
Amanda is crucial to the story. We first learn about her in Part I of the book and she beats
to her own drum. She answers to no one and lives life how she wants to. She is noticing
butterflies one day and Madame Goody tells her the scientific names of the butterflies. Her
response is “Madame Goody, I do not give a rusty goddamn what these butterflies are called in
Greek” (Robbins 9). Amanda is interested in the magic of the butterflies, not the science behind
them and she makes that very clear with no hesitation. Later in Part I, Amanda’s family lawyer
warns her that she seems to be hanging around weird people and she says in return, “There is no
such thing as a weird human being. It’s just that some people require more understanding than
others” (Robbins 10). Again, this is a prime example of how Amanda is not interested in living
someone else’s life. Her family lawyer is a respected man, but Amanda only wants to live her
way and is strong enough not to be swayed. Seeing these small glimpses of Amanda’s

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personality in only the first ten pages of the book demonstrates just how big of an impact
Amanda will have on the story and the characters later in the book.
Religion is a key theme throughout the book. Amanda has very strong viewpoints about
the subject and is keen on sharing. In one instance in Part II, Amanda says that she abandoned
formal education in the eighth grade and that Church is a “hunting wasp” and “its stinger being
represented by the nuns and priests who teach in its schools and the pupils as the paralyzed prey”
(Robbins 96). She realized at a young age that she would not be confined to the rules of
Christianity and instead wanted to have control over her life decisions. Another comment that
Amanda made was that Judaism and Christianity were both father religions. “We’ve had two
thousand years of penis power” (Robbins 294). Before those religions came around, the old
religion was considered a mother religion. Amanda continues by saying that when father
becomes separated from mother, flesh from spirit and culture from nature, that is when life is out
of balance. Segregating people from how the world really works and feeding them lies is not the
way to live. Amanda wants no part of that world and has the courage to build, some would say,
an untraditional life.
As I stated before, Amanda is the only female character in the novel and she is
surrounded by men. John Paul Ziller was drawn to Amanda immediately. Purcell once remarked
that “the only meat in the world sweeter, hotter and pinker than Amanda’s twat is Carolina
barbeque” (Robbins 57). Marx Marvelous longs to make love to Amanda every time he lays his
eyes on her and at time, loses concentration of his previous thoughts. The three main male
characters are captivated by Amanda. She has this magic in her that men can’t withstand.
Amanda is married to Ziller, but not committed physically. Yet, she still wanted to ask Ziller’s
permission on whether he would feel comfortable with her sleeping with Marvelous. She is

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promiscuous, yet loyal. She loves men, but does not need men. At the end of the novel, Plucky
and Ziller are dead and Marx is being taken away. Marx reflects on his last time with Amanda
and he realizes two things: “One: She loves me deeply. Two: She is completely indifferent as to
whether she ever sees me again” (Robbins 336). This quotes perfectly sums up Amanda. Nature
is constantly adapting. Like nature, Amanda accepts change and doesn’t get attached to any one
state. Men can’t contain nature or Amanda.
Amanda represents a seldom seen type of woman in literature. She is a woman that is
undoubtedly and unapologetically herself, no matter whom the company is. A minor character
she is not, but rather the “central focus” of the novel (Robbins 4). She has intelligent thoughts
and speech and is loving, yet unattached to the people in her life. Amanda carries the novel with
ease and passion. She leaves a permanent mark on everyone she meets, including the reader.