Cass Barnes

Cass Barnes is one of the novel’s primary characters. Her parents are Dickie and Imelda Barnes, and her younger brother is PJ Barnes. In the narrative present, Cass is a teenager. She is on the verge of finishing high school, and is preparing for college the following year. Because Cass feels trapped by her hometown, she sees her future at Trinity in Dublin as a representation of escape and liberation.

When Cass’s father’s business begins to fail and her family’s finances drastically change, Cass spends less and less time at home. Her parents’ constant fighting particularly alienates her from her domestic and familial spheres. She relies more heavily on her best friend Elaine, who she feels she has “known . . . for ever” (3). However, the more trying that her circumstances at home become, the more separation Cass feels from her friend. Whereas the girls once...