Francie

Francie is the protagonist and the only character whose name is evident. At the beginning of the story, Francie is in high school and has recently given up various youthful aspirations about adulthood. She begins to take an interest in writing fiction and poetry, although her mother shows no encouragement, and her English teacher says that she has no sense of plot. She continues to pursue writing in college, taking writing seminars every semester. However, although she sometimes receives compliments her on her prose, her professors and classmates generally criticize the strange plots of her stories.

Despite these tribulations, Francie eventually switches her major from child psychology to, implicitly, English and/or creative writing. This apparently chagrins Francie’s mother. Francie’s parents eventually divorce, and her brother returns from the Vietnam War after losing half of a leg in combat. After college, Francie feels somewhat directionless, and...