Hena Maes-Jelinek has argued that before 1982, many of Harris' women characters were restricted to muse and mother roles. Joyce Sparer Adler agrees, but notes that certain novels had stronger characters with more narrative agency, such as Beti in "The Far Journey of Oudin" (1961) and Magda in "The Whole Armour" (1962). However, it is not until Mary in "The Angel at the Gate" (1982) that Harris writes a woman protagonist proper. Adler also notes that "Carnival" (1985) features major woman characters such as Aunt Bartelby and Amaryllis. As such, these two books represent significant developments; Adler points to a more androgynous vision of consciousness portrayed in the two, particularly "Carnival" (1985). In an interview with Kate Webb, Angela Carter deepens the critical conversation by arguing that all of Harris' characters are archetypal; so any critique about flatness leveled against woman characters would also apply to the men.