Work has one central character, Christie Devon. She is the orphaned child of a "gentleman" father and a "farmer's daughter" mother, indebted for her upbringing to a maternal uncle whom she refuses to burden further. At age twentyone, she is strong, moral, eager to be on her own and to engage in satisfying work.

At the outset Christie is cheerful and outgoing, and she has many appealing traits, among them a willingness to learn, be useful, and improve herself. Christie's soul-searchings and spiritual crises, her longings for security, are very human.

Christie is a remarkable fictional character because she is anchored in realism, yet designed by her creator for a didactic role. She is an introspective moralist, a social critic whose views are not immune to shifts. Through her twenties and thirties she mellows, recognizes and accepts her need for aid, and comes to appreciate domestic values. For...