Katherine

Katherine is one of the main characters of the novel. In the narrative present, Katherine is living in New York City and has “managed to achieve an exceptional Biedermeier tenure of nine years, most other floor directors averaging three” (16). Katherine does not mind that her living situation coincides with her work situation. She in fact welcomes the responsibilities she has assumed at the Biedermeier, because the job offers her a sense of order and control, meaning and purpose. She carries herself with poise and is respected by the other women. She does not always have a soft exterior, but never “bother[s] wondering whether women [find] her intimidating” (16). She takes her work seriously because coming to New York has been her way of reinventing herself. At the Biedermeier, she has the safety, security, and respectability she did not have before leaving her childhood home in Westerville, Ohio.

Katherine...