Ellen is the protagonist of the novel and its first-person narrator. Born in a rural town in the American South, Ellen turns 11 during the course of the tale she narrates. Little is said of her appearance other than that she is white and has long black hair. Ellen’s mother was frail and ill most of her life and trapped in a marriage to a man who abused alcohol and her. Ellen’s wish to protect her mother and her hatred for her father show two of Ellen’s strongest characteristics: her nurturing ability, connected to her deep longing for love, and her ability to protect herself from abuse and threat.

Ellen has a wry voice and a forthright, practical manner as she is forced to take on responsibilities beyond her age. Intertwined with her narration is instruction to her listener, showing that Ellen considers herself an authority on her own experience. She is reserved and suspicious, not prone to humor or play, but she is curious about the world, interested in science, poetry, and art, and loves to read. Ellen does not like simple narratives of contrived adventure and happy endings, but complex literature with conflicts that reflect the complicated reality in which she lives.