He constantly argues and provokes Pauline his wife because he equates all women with Darlene. Because Cholly could not come to terms with what happened to him, his only outlet is to blame others and use alcohol as a crutch. In, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, an experimental research conducted to link the use of alcohol with childhood sexual abuse, research concluded, "Child physical or sexual abuse was significantly associated with past year and lifetime alcohol consumption measures." However abusive Cholly may be, he will not goes as far as to try to kill or leave his wife, which provokes the reader to believe Cholly might also suffer from abandonment issues due to his mother leaving him to be raised by his Great Aunt Jimmy. Cholly's character is meant to portray all the wrongs a person can commit, however, his character has also been psychologically beaten down until he becomes dehumanized. Because of all the traumas he experienced as a child and young adult, Cholly seems unable to handle life. Upon coming across his father in a store, Cholly defecates himself in public out of fear and shock. He is unable to confront his father by himself. Cholly drinks and fights with people in order to keep his life interesting and alive. At the end of the novel, Cholly snaps under the influence of alcohol and rapes his daughter, Pecola, as his only way of showing affection, through an act of violence. .
Pauline Breedlove, Cholly's wife and Pecola's mother, took a different approach to life when it came to dealing with her demons. Throughout most of her life, Pauline's "general feelings of separation and unworthiness she blames on her foot," (pg. 111). This separation from other people caused her to claim sanctuary in her romance novels. Attempting to feel as if she belongs in society, Pauline tries to keep up with Hollywood fashion. Pauline begins to dress and style her hair similar to Jean Harlow, the white sex symbol of that age.