Elnora Comstock repeatedly compares herself with Freckles; just as he represents Porter's masculine ideal, she achieves the appropriate balance of independence and domesticity. Porter's approval is indicated by the dedication of A Girl of the Limberlost to her daughter, Jeannette Helen Porter.

Like the Swamp Angel in Freckles (1904), Elnora is not the conventional young Victorian lady. Growing up at the edge of the Limberlost Swamp has made her independent, although initially she cares more about formal education than about the knowledge to be gained from nature. Her lack of contact with Onabasha society has made her unaware of artificial social restraints, just as her mother's rejection has made her unaware of her own attractiveness. Like Freckles, Elnora possesses intelligence, and her innate nobility of character wins the respect of neighbors, schoolmates, townspeople, and even an outlaw who hides in the swamp. Elnora learns the value of a useful...