Edith Bunker - Character Background

Character Background

Edith Bunker was a native of New York City. She was born in October 1927 and died in her sleep of a stroke in September 1980, at age 52. She attended Millard Fillmore High School and was in the graduating class of 1943. Her high school only had one reunion and that was the 30th, in 1973, which she attended. There is not an exact date brought up when she met Archie. But in Archie Goes Too Far Season 3 Episode 17, Edith reads a letter Archie sent to her while he was in the United States Army Air Corps. She reads the year from the letter as 1943. Based on this date, they would have met when Edith was a senior in high school or before or later on in 1943 after graduation. Yet another story of when they met inconsistency. During the show many times she said she met Archie while working at the "Hercules Plumbing Company". But as you will see further into this article, she didn't start working there until 1946. Her character and accent changed somewhat between the first and second seasons. In the earliest episodes, she was the "put-upon wife," often bemoaning (though softly) her husband's behavior or comments; also during the first season, Jean Stapleton spoke in her own voice, rather than the nasal, high pitched voice for which Edith is generally remembered. By the second season, she became the character more familiar to viewers: kind, utterly non-judgmental, and fully dedicated to her husband. Also, in the first season, she pronounced her husband's name as "Ahchie" or even "Archie." In the 1st season 2nd episode "Writing the President" Edith remarks how before her marriage, in 1946 she got a job and started working for the "Hercules Plumbing Company". By the second season, her husband became "Awwchie." In the third season episode "The Battle of the Month" and fourth season episode "Gloria Sings the Blues," Edith reveals that her parents almost divorced after a nasty fight and that although they stayed married, things were never the same between them. This deeply affected Edith and her views on marriage, marital fighting, and how to treat other people. In the fourth season episode "Archie the Gambler," Edith reveals that her father was addicted to gambling and almost brought his family to ruin (an experience which led Edith to put her foot down twice regarding Archie's similar gambling problem).

Edith was the voice of reason and rock of understanding, often contributing a unique perspective to a topic. She was decidedly less bigoted than Archie (e.g., she was good friends with her black neighbor Louise Jefferson, while Archie was always at odds with her and husband George, and she acknowledged that she'd voted for President Jimmy Carter in one of the later episodes). Though her opinions sometimes sharply differed from Archie's, she was intensely loyal to her husband, often stuck up for him and stood by him in his times of need. Edith was hardly the sharpest member of the family and could be a tad slow on the uptake, but she was certainly the happiest and wisest character on the show. For example, in a conversation with Gloria, Edith stated that she favored capital punishment, "as long as it ain't too severe." In the episode "Cousin Liz" (in which the Bunkers learn that her recently deceased cousin Liz was a lesbian with a life-partner, Veronica), Edith is at first shocked at the revelation, but quickly throws her arms around Veronica and warmly accepts her as Liz's "true next-of-kin", giving her the tea-set Liz's spouse would have legally inherited. Edith was extremely popular because she was easily the sweetest character on the show, unconditionally loving everyone she knew and also managing to keep high spirits even when she faced tragedy.

In contrast, in a memorable episode in the show's second season, Edith uncharacteristically snaps at Archie, repeatedly telling him (as he frequently did to her) to "stifle". Edith, who otherwise never cursed, also loudly instructed the family to "Leave me alone, dammit!" After a visit to the doctor Gloria explains to Archie that he needs to be sensitive to the fact that Edith is going through menopause. Later on in the episode, a frustrated Archie yells at Edith "When I had the hernia I didn't make you wear the truss. Now if you're gonna have a change of life, you gotta do it right now. I'm gonna give you 30 seconds!" In another episode, Edith, in a conversation with Gloria, wondered whether men go through "women-o-pause."

When All in the Family premiered in 1971, Edith was a housewife. In 1974, to help bring in extra money to the Bunker household, Edith got a part-time job as a caretaker at the Sunshine Home. She later was a partner in Archie's business, Archie's Place, the tavern he purchased in 1977. Edith loses her job at the Sunshine Home in 1979 (for breaking a policy by allowing a terminally ill woman to die and failing to inform the staff), but in an early episode of Archie Bunker's Place, she is able to find a similar caretaker's job at another nursing home.

Edith was most known for her shrill voice (her trademark "Oh, Aaaaaaaaaah-chie!" became very popular among viewers) and her flighty demeanor. The latter character trait caused Archie to call her "dingbat". However, Archie truly loved his wife and wanted what was best for both of them. Frequently, he would consult with her whenever something bothered him (such as the episode, "Archie and the KKK," where a distressed Archie asks Edith for advice on how to prevent a cross burning).

More than once, Edith sharply chastised Archie for casting judgment against other people, particularly when he mentions God. Two notable examples came in the episodes "Cousin Liz" (Archie went on a diatribe about how God hates gays) and "California, Here We Are" (where, upon learning that Gloria's near affair had almost destroyed the Stivics' marriage, berates the "Little Goil" and says that the matter is "God's business"). In both instances, Edith warned Archie to back off and says that God should be left to deal with those matters and the people involved. She also became close friends with a transgender person/drag performer known as Beverly LaSalle (Lori Shannon) who came into their lives when Archie saved his life when he required CPR, remaining friends with him, despite Archie's discomfort. Edith later had a crisis of faith after Beverly's death protecting Mike from muggers.

Edith also serves as the voice of reason for Mike and on several occasions corrects him when, as she says, "He's been acting all stuck up." She explains to Mike that Archie yells at him not because he hates Mike but because he is jealous of Mike's many opportunities in life.

Edith also on many occasions helps Gloria to understand that Gloria's feminist views, while correct, do not mean other view points are necessarily any less valid.

Edith is described by Archie's father as being "too smart" for him because, while Edith appears to have less-than-average intelligence, she is very wise about life and the way the world works.

Around the house, Edith usually ran everywhere she went, impliedly to please others without them having to wait. This included answering the doorbell or phone, and running to the kitchen to get Archie a beer.

In the episode, 'The Saga of Cousin Oscar', Edith mentions she has two sisters Helen and Gertrude.

The character suffers from several physical and emotional traumas throughout the series. Edith goes through menopause in the second season ("Edith's Problem"), discovers a lump in her breast just before Christmas in the fourth season ("Edith's Christmas Story"), is nearly raped on her 50th birthday in the eighth season ("Edith's 50th Birthday"), and develops phlebitis in the show's final episode in season nine ("Too Good Edith"). The first episode of the second season of Archie Bunker's Place ("Archie Alone") reveals that Edith died of a stroke.