Characters Comfort Me with Apples Catherynne M. Valente

Adam in Comfort Me with Apples: The Primordial Patriarch

Overview

Adam is the central male figure in Catherynne M. Valente’s Comfort Me with Apples. He is presented as the first man, a giant formed from dust, and the husband of the protagonist, Sophia. Throughout the story, he embodies a system of patriarchal control that is both divine and domestic. His character is revealed gradually: at first he is an absent, beloved husband, but Sophia’s discoveries expose him as a serial murderer who keeps the body parts of his previous wives. Adam is not merely a villain but a manifestation of a creation myth that justifies his cruelty. His actions drive the plot and serve as the primary obstacle to Sophia’s agency.

Plot Role

Adam’s role in the narrative is twofold: he is both the object of Sophia’s devotion and the source of the hidden horror that unravels her perfect life. Early chapters show him as a provider—he works long hours naming animals and leaves Sophia to maintain their home. But as Sophia finds a bone brush, a hidden collection of remains, and a cellar full of butcher tools, Adam’s true nature emerges. In Chapter 16, “Jubilee,” he confesses to murdering all his previous wives, claiming he loved them but they “went sour.” He strangles Sophia after she declares her love and forgiveness. His actions are the climax of the novel, forcing Sophia to confront the violence at the core of her existence.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Adam’s primary motivation is the preservation of his own happiness and comfort. He believes he deserves to be happy because he is the first man and Eden was built for him. When his wives fail to satisfy him—by being unhappy, disobeying, or becoming “disgusting” (as with the wife made of clay and blood)—he murders them and keeps souvenirs. He expresses regret but only for his own loss: “I miss them. I loved them. Why should I give them up?” His actions reveal a deep selfishness and a refusal to accept that his wives have independent desires. He also shows a childlike pout when confronted, as when Sophia names him and he flinches, or when he defends his killings as “nothing wasted.” His cruelty is casual and ritualized; he times how fast he can dismember a wife.

Adam’s traits include possessiveness, emotional immaturity, and a sense of entitlement. He names every living thing but refuses to name his murdered wives (except Lilith, whom he names but claims she hurt him). This refusal to name them is a form of erasure. He also displays manipulation: he tells Sophia she was made from his eye, implying she is less than human, and later uses her forgiveness to justify killing her, freeing himself from guilt.

Chronological Arc

Adam’s arc is not one of change but of revelation. In the early chapters (e.g., Chapter 2 “Winesap”), he is an offstage figure, referenced through Sophia’s thoughts: her husband expects a clean house, forbids her from the cellar, and praises her beauty. As Sophia discovers evidence of previous wives, Adam’s actions are recalled in a new light. In Chapter 16, his full history emerges: he was born fused to a first wife, begged God to separate them, then had her destroyed. He describes a succession of wives made from various materials (clay, seawater, feathers, parts of himself), each of whom he eventually killed when they disappointed him. The newest wife, Sophia, was built from his eye to be incapable of unhappiness, but she still becomes aware and unhappy. Adam’s arc ends with him killing Sophia and planning for the next wife, implying the cycle will repeat.

Relationships

Sophia: Their relationship is built on a power imbalance enforced by divine design. Sophia was created to love and obey Adam; she cannot stop loving him even as he strangles her. Adam sees her as a possession and a disappointment when she learns the truth. He values her only insofar as she makes him happy.

Previous Wives: Adam’s relationships with earlier wives are characterized by initial infatuation followed by disgust or frustration. He keeps their remains as “comforting” objects. The only named predecessor is Lilith, who ran away and was pursued by the police (Semengelof). Adam says Lilith “hurt me” and “had to be punished.” The others remain nameless, reduced to trophies.

Cascavel (the Snake): Adam has an adversarial relationship with Cascavel, who offers truth to his wives. Adam knows Sophia has spoken to the snake and reacts with suspicion. Cascavel represents knowledge and freedom, which Adam seeks to suppress.

God (the Father): Adam’s relationship with God is filial and collaborative. God creates wives for Adam, then eventually stops disposing of them, forcing Adam to do it himself. Adam sees himself as made in God’s image, which justifies his violence.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  • Asking God to separate his first wife: This decision leads to her destruction and establishes a pattern of disposing of wives who don’t meet his needs.
  • Keeping body parts as souvenirs: This action allows Sophia to discover the truth, leading to her confrontation with him.
  • Confessing to Sophia: Adam confesses in detail, perhaps out of a need for honesty before the end, which gives Sophia knowledge but also seals her fate.
  • Strangling Sophia: He chooses to kill her despite her forgiveness, believing a fresh start is better. This decision perpetuates the cycle and demonstrates his inability to change.

Theme/Symbol Connections

Adam is closely tied to themes of control and surveillance (the rules of Arcadia Gardens echo his personal demands), forbidden knowledge and truth (he forbids the cellar and the tree, echoing the biblical prohibition), domestic perfection vs. reality (his ideal home masks murder), and gender subjugation (he views women as disposable). He also embodies cyclical violence: each murder prepares for the next wife, and the story implies the cycle will continue. The apple and key from Cascavel symbolize the truth that leads to Sophia’s death but also her brief liberation.

Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Adam kill his wives instead of letting them leave?
    Adam claims he loves them and cannot bear to lose them. He keeps their remains to feel surrounded by “loved ones.” He also believes that a wife who knows the truth would judge him, so killing her allows him to start fresh without guilt.

  2. What does Adam’s refusal to name most of his wives reveal about his character?
    It shows his dehumanization of them. Naming is his great work, yet he withholds names from those who disappointed him. Only Lilith is named, but he still punishes her. This reinforces his view that wives are replaceable objects.

  3. How does Adam’s relationship with God (the Father) shape his actions?
    Adam sees himself as made in God’s image and therefore entitled to happiness. God initially destroyed failed wives; when God stops, Adam takes over the role. This divine sanction allows Adam to see murder as a logical extension of his privilege.

  4. What is the significance of Adam calling Sophia “broken” and “faulty”?
    She was designed to be incapable of unhappiness, but she becomes unhappy after learning the truth. Adam attributes this to a manufacturing flaw, not to his own cruelty. This language reflects the theme of domestic perfection and the blame placed on women for failing to meet impossible standards.

  5. Does Adam feel any genuine remorse for his actions?
    He expresses sadness that he misses his wives and claims he loved them, but his remorse is self-centered. He never regrets the act of killing; he regrets that they “went sour.” His tears are for his own loss, not for the lives he ended.