Vera

Vera is the first-person narrator and protagonist in Elsewhere. At the outset of the novel, when Vera is still in school, she believes unquestioningly in the town’s beauty, gender roles, and the necessity of the disappearance of mothers. When a stranger arrives in the town, Ruth, Vera is intrigued by the older woman and elated that she can spend time with her when she purchases film at the Ready Rapid. However, after Ruth attends a burning, when a mother disappears, Vera can sense her judgement of the ceremony. She feels “less warmly toward [Ruth]” because it is clear that the stranger does not understand that the women must disappear, and their effigies must be burned (52). Later, Vera discovers that Ruth is sleeping with her father and ensure that the entire community knows of the stranger’s treachery. They form a mob outside of the Alpina and force...