job at the age of 11. She is only one year older than Burroughs, with whom she eventually becomes great friends. Norman Burroughs The abusive and alcoholic husband of Deirdre and father of Augusten. His abusive, oppressive relationship with Deirdre is one of the main causes of her instability and Augusten's difficult life. When Augusten later tries to reach out to him, his phone calls are ignored, leading to further estrangement. Agnes Finch Mother of the Finch children and wife of Dr. Finch. Her role in the family is small, serving as more of a maid than a wife or mother. No one in the household shows her any respect and rarely even listen to her, telling her constantly to "shut up". Hope Finch The older sister to Natalie. She works as a receptionist in Dr. Finch's office and is the first person in the Finch family to befriend Burroughs. Fern The first female lover of Deirdre Burroughs. She is a minister's wife with children, and keeps her relationship with Deirdre a secret. The relationship ends when Fern refuses to leave her family. Dorothy A teenage, African-American former patient of Dr. Finch who becomes Dierdre's second female lover. Dorothy, who was also mentally unstable, encouraged Dierdre's erratic behavior, finding it exciting. She does everything from setting money on fire to putting broken glass in the bathtub. Film adaptation The film adaptation of Running with Scissors, released in 2006, stars Alec Baldwin, Annette Bening, Brian Cox, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Jill Clayburgh, Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Cross as Burroughs. The plot of the film is focused on the relationship between the mother and the son. Legal case In 2005, the family of Dr. Rodolph H. Turcotte (1919–2000) of Massachusetts filed suit against Burroughs and his publisher, alleging defamation of character and invasion of privacy. They stated that they were the basis for the Finch family portrayed in the book but that Burroughs had fabricated or exaggerated various descriptions of their activities. The case was later settled with Sony Pictures Entertainment in October 2006, prior to the release of the film adaptation. Burroughs and his publisher, St. Martin's Press, settled with the Turcotte family in August 2007. The Turcottes were reportedly seeking damages of $2 million for invasion of privacy, defamation, and emotional distress; the Turcottes alleged Running with Scissors was largely fictional and written in a sensational manner. Burroughs defended