Gertie Nevels

Gertie is the novel's protagonist. From the novel's opening lines right through to its closing, her actions and reactions, feelings and intentions and interpretations of events anchor the narrative. She is strong willed, insistent and determined - in certain circumstances and within certain relationships. When faced with powerful self-righteousness, such as that which motivates her Mother, Mr. Daly, and the never seen but ever present Mr. Flint, her will ebbs away. This tension between courage and fear makes for an interesting tension both in the character and in the narrative, as the reader is led to wonder how she will react and what she will do. Her goal throughout the novel is to provide a good life for her children. The journey of transformation she undergoes sees that dream being made over from the farm life she has always envisioned to the city life envisioned by her...