Alice

At the start of the novel, Alice is a meek, yet kind-hearted young woman who has just moved to America from England after marrying her husband Bennett, who describes her as "delicate and refined," at least when they are newlyweds (13). She is also described as having "huge eyes and waved, bobbed blonde hair," "exquisite manners and a refined way of lifting a tea cup" (12). While Alice's husband and her father-in-law, Mr. Van Cleve, seem rather obsessed with her maintaining a pristine appearance, Alice doesn't seem to care much at all, especially as the story progresses.

Over time, she not only becomes more callused and tanned by her time working for the library, but also surer of herself as she finds her place as a woman independent of her marriage or family. Alice slowly learns how to stand up for herself and use her own voice, especially with Margery's...