both her pattern of seeing her attackers as victims and in believing she had provoked the incident. Evelyn erupts at Ed and goes on a mental rampage against perceived enemies, slamming into a rude driver's car in the grocery store parking lot. Ultimately, she has an epiphany about the universal power dynamics between men and women. She briefly wishes she were a man and exorcises her alter ego at an African-American church service, eventually finding peace within herself. During this process, Evelyn adopts healthy eating habits and, bolstered by Ninny's belief in her, confidently decides to follow Ninny's advice to develop her talents. Her flawless skin helps her sell Mary Kay makeup, and she becomes independent, no longer reliant on Ed for financial and emotional support.

Evelyn admires Idgie Threadgoode, whose full name is Imogene, reflecting her restless nature. Idgie is a daring tomboy, known for her practical jokes and tall tales, who is well-liked for her ability to diffuse tension and keep life exciting with her bravery and deceit. For instance, she tells everyone that Frank Bennett died in an accident to protect Ruth's reputation. Almost a legendary figure, Idgie endures the losses of her closest loved ones, Buddy and Ruth, and possesses the charm to befriend wild honeybees, catch large fish, and win poker games. She even persuades a circus elephant trainer to walk the elephant, Miss Fancy, from Birmingham to Troutville to cheer up Naughty Bird. Idgie evolves from an emotional, out-of-control teenager, who angrily destroys her room when Ruth decides to return to Georgia to marry Frank Bennett (Idgie protests the union by honking her car horn outside the church and makes secret monthly trips to check on Ruth), into a composed, rational woman who manipulates the truth to protect her extended family.

Idgie is unapologetic about her love for Ruth, openly acknowledging their relationship and proudly declaring Buddy, Jr., as her son. She serves as a scout leader, coaches his sports teams, ritualistically buries his arm, shows him the ball-catching three-legged dog, and teaches him to shoot turkeys one-handed. Privately, she cherishes the nickname "bee charmer," given to her by Ruth, which hints at Idgie's enchanting nature. Throughout the novel, she dresses in men's clothing and passionately engages in hunting and fishing, exhibiting a masculine demeanor. This masculinity extends to her appreciation of Eva, who is Idgie's heterosexual counterpart. Although their relationship remains asexual—Idgie would never betray Ruth—Eva and Idgie share a deep bond based on their shared indulgences in liquor and tobacco, and mutual respect for each other's free spirits, a level of intimacy unattainable for other women in the Whistle Stop community. Eva even joins Reverend Scroggins' sham congregation, pretending to be a devoted church member to provide Idgie with an alibi during her trial. Additionally, she secretly writes a note to Ruth from Idgie seeking forgiveness for Idgie's deceit. Flagg contrasts Eva's noble actions with the promiscuous behavior of Helen Claypoole to underscore Eva's worth as a companion.

Unlike Idgie and Eva, Ruth embodies virtue, much like her Biblical namesake. She is inherently self-sacrificing, yet paradoxically strong and fragile. In the first half of the book, she serves as Evelyn's counterpart. Both women are passive and obedient, enduring mistreatment from their husbands. As Ninny Threadgoode's health deteriorates in the second half of the book, Evelyn starts to resemble the daring Idgie. Ruth, who is five years older than Idgie, wears feminine clothing and appears meek. However, she shows her assertiveness by moving out when Idgie lies to her, slapping Idgie during a tantrum, and reclaiming her maiden name. She also sends Idgie a biblical passage from the Book of Ruth to signal she needs help and endures the pains of childbirth and her husband's abuse. Additionally, she feels jealous of Idgie's affection for Eva. Ruth, the daughter of a preacher from Valdosta, Georgia, is a Sunday School teacher who aims to convert people through example and kindness, unlike Idgie's more rough-and-tumble approach. When Idgie rescues Ruth from Frank Bennett, Ruth becomes both Idgie's romantic and business partner.

Idgie takes on financial responsibility for Ruth and her son. However, Ruth is the more mature partner in their relationship, consistently staying home to manage their business while Idgie immaturely frolics at the Wagon Wheel River and Fishing Club with members of the Dill Pickle Club. This club stages annual follies to entertain their families and friends with frivolous antics. Frank Bennett is a cruel, vain, unscrupulous, misogynistic man with one glass eye, symbolizing his cold nature and blindness to justice and enemies. He is well-respected due to his family's property holdings in Valdosta but lacks character. His moral decline began after witnessing his beloved mother and uncle in a compromising situation. Bennett works as he pleases for his family instead of an employer and takes whatever and whoever he desires, then discards them callously. He courts Ruth solely to have a son from a respectable family to carry the Bennett name. Realizing Ruth's naivety and vulnerability, he manipulates her into believing he is a sincere suitor with her best interests at heart. Although Ruth doesn't love him, she believes his declarations of love and gets engaged, mainly to satisfy her widowed mother, whom Ruth mistakenly thinks is interested in the Bennetts' money and social status.

Bennett continues to assault local girls, who bear his children but never provide him with a legitimate heir. He disregards Idgie's warnings when she visits Valdosta and confronts him at the barber shop. Bennett neither respects women nor knows how to. He brutally assaults the innocent Ruth on their wedding night, leaving her bleeding for days, a symbol of her diminishing spirit. He denies her the intimacy of sleeping together, only returning to their bed for his own gratification, depriving her of any pleasure. Bennett also physically abuses Ruth. She finally musters the courage to leave him after her mother dies and admits that Bennett is the "devil," urging Ruth to seek safety. To save face, Bennett tells everyone in Valdosta that he has committed Ruth to an insane asylum. He then pursues her to Alabama, where she finds joy with the Threadgoodes, a happiness she never experienced in the Bennett mansion. Ironically, Bennett's attempt to kidnap his legitimate male heir, his supposed claim to future glory, leads to his demise and the erasure of the Bennett name from Buddy, Jr.

The African-American characters in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe shed light on the social injustices faced by both blacks and whites, adding depth to the story by providing diverse perspectives. Sipsey Peavey, who sought employment from the Threadgoodes as a child, is the matriarch of the black community. Thin, superstitious, and the daughter of a slave, she cooks delicious meals and teaches Idgie and Ruth how to prepare culinary delights, equipping them with a skill to support themselves and sustain the community. Ninny recalls how Sipsey would care for everyone's babies, regardless of race, foreshadowing her encounter with Frank Bennett. Childless, Sipsey takes in an infant born to a woman passing through Whistle Stop on a train. This baby grows up to become Big George, named for his large stature and in honor of George Pullman, inventor of the passenger rail car, highlighting Sipsey's awareness of the world beyond Whistle Stop.

Big George is deeply committed to Idgie, whom he once saved from attacking hogs, as well as Ruth and the entire Threadgoode family. As a butcher, he earns respect from both white and black communities, maintaining a dignity that even his detractors, like the Klan members, cannot undermine. He assists Idgie in rescuing Ruth from Frank Bennett, helps conceal Bennett's body, and stands trial with Idgie decades after the murder. George's skin is as black as coal, which sometimes subjects him to disdain from some African Americans. However, George pays no mind to such racism, marrying the lighter-skinned Onzell and fathering four children. The twins, Jasper and Artis, embody contrasting stereotypes within black society. Jasper, whose skin is coffee-colored like his mother's, endures insults and slurs while working as a railroad porter to save enough money to send his children to college. Respected by his peers, Jasper is elected president of the local porter union.

Artis, on the other hand, was born with blue gums and skin as dark as his father's. He harbors resentment towards his brother's lighter skin, associating it with opportunity and success, and once stabbed him with a penknife. He later stabs Frank Bennett's corpse, foreshadowing his future criminal activities and giving him a self-defined sense of power over white people, a secret he keeps until his death. An angry man and a womanizer, much like Frank Bennett, Artis pursues frivolous pleasures, refusing to work or plan for his future. When his younger brother, Wonderful Counselor—named after a Biblical passage—joins the army during World War II and is killed defending his father's service to Idgie against a racist black soldier, Artis avenges his death by killing the murderer. Artis spends time in prison for various crimes. Just as Idgie freed Ruth from the oppressive Bennett, she helps George, Onzell, and Sipsey by using her influence as a white woman, with the assistance of local sheriff and railroad detective Grady Kilgore, to convince prison officials to release Artis. Despite this twist of fate, Artis does not see it as life-changing and continues his wasteful lifestyle, eventually dying homeless and destitute.

His sister, Naughty Bird, so named because she looks like a bird and steals biscuits (the repulsive Vesta Adcock is also described as bird-like, and Ninny feared blackbirds because she believed they eavesdropped on telephone conversations), also lives in despair due to her dark skin and nappy hair. She refuses to leave her home after being spurned by her lover in favor of a lighter-skinned woman. Jasper's children, such as Clarissa, show little interest in their Whistle Stop relatives and strive to achieve social and professional status that was unattainable for previous generations. Their disconnection from their rural roots symbolizes the decline of Whistle Stop.

The Threadgoode family exemplifies the community's diversity. Some children are athletic, while others are more plump. Some are musically inclined, while others are drawn to science. Together, they form a united group that supports each member against any attacks. The family warmly welcomes outsiders, turning them into insiders who become familiar with their traditions and secrets. These newcomers might find certain practices, like Sipsey's skull garden, both amusing and bizarre but refrain from criticizing or questioning the Threadgoodes' ways. Readers might struggle to keep track of all the Threadgoode children, their spouses, and their professions. Idgie and Buddy Threadgoode tend to overshadow their siblings, who good-naturedly accept their minor, peripheral roles. For instance, Cleo Threadgoode, Ninny's husband, studies chiropractic medicine nearly a thousand miles away in Davenport, Iowa, before returning to Whistle Stop, where the family continues to thrive despite his absence.

Buddy's death leaves a void in the family's structure that is later filled by Ruth's son. The Threadgoodes informally adopt children, like the orphaned Ninny, without going through legal adoption procedures. Adults become part of the family through their connections with family members, such as the hobo Smokey Lonesome, who lives in the shed behind the cafe and loves Ruth, perhaps even more than Idgie. He cherishes her photograph until he freezes to death walking to Whistle Stop, the one place he considers home regardless of how far he roams. The town of Whistle Stop is a central character in the book, housing a mix of likable and detestable individuals. The railroad serves as the lifeline connecting everyone (hoboes mark the Whistle Stop Cafe's name on boxcar walls to promote its food). Running through the Threadgoodes' backyard, the railroad splits Whistle Stop on its route to New Orleans and Atlanta. The nearby switching yard offers employment opportunities for both whites and blacks, ensuring a diverse array of people passing through the cafe, the heart of the community.

The true essence of Flagg's novel lies with the locals. Idgie Threadgoode, who keeps her private life hidden to protect Ruth, spends her time with Grady Kilgore and Wilbur Weems. These comrades engage in drunken poker games, often neglect their responsibilities to overlook Idgie's illegal activities, and unite against outsiders like FBI agents and Klansmen who try to disrupt her methods of dealing with issues such as Frank Bennett or providing for the needy.

Characters like the affluent Vesta Adcock serve to highlight the more compassionate individuals such as Opal Threadgoode, who runs the beauty salon, and Dot Weems, the postal clerk who keeps the town informed of events, including marriages, deaths, and the frequent mishaps of her accident-prone husband Wilbur.

Idgie and her friends sometimes immaturely prank Reverend Scroggins by telling strangers they can buy whiskey at his house. Despite this, the Baptist preacher and his wife are generally respected, especially after he saves Idgie during her trial. However, the once safe, redemptive, neighborly atmosphere starts to shift, symbolized by Dot Weems' shocking report of her purse being stolen at the cemetery.

As residents either move away or pass on, Whistle Stop transforms into a ghost town, inhabited by loyal descendants like the friendly Jonnie Hartman, who guides Evelyn through the town and its rich memories of better days.