Part 1 of The Edible Woman is written in first person point of view and introduces the protagonist Marian McAlpin. Marian wakes up one Friday morning in summer in the Toronto attic apartment she shares with her roommate, Ainsley Tewce. Ainsley had been to a party the night before and complains of her hangover as well as the boring dentists she met at the party. Like Marian, Ainsley is a recent university graduate. She has a degree in psychology and works at an electric toothbrush company testing defective merchandise. Marian has spent the morning listening to Ainsley complain about the party that she loses track of time and has to have a quick, unsatisfying breakfast before going to work. They get ready for work and leave the apartment, meeting their landlady on their way out. Both Marian and Ainsley resent their landlady for her intrusive and judgmental attitude. Ainsley does not take their landlady’s snooping seriously; Marian believes that Ainsley “has no idea about the consequences” (7) of upsetting their landlady.

Marian and Ainsley met through mutual friends when both were looking for a roommate. Marian does not believe they share much in common but are compatible roommates that keep to a balanced cleaning schedule.