Mary Deerfield

Mary became Thomas's when she was 19. As the events of the novel unfold, she is 22 years-old. Mary is the daughter of James and Priscilla Burden. Her parents moved from England to Boston when Mary was young and she had no choice but to accompany them, though she has brothers who remained in England. She is an avid student of scripture and is devout in her faith, though she often judges herself more harshly than the reader will judge her. Mary is intelligent at a time when women are expected to be blindly obedient. She demonstrates how strong and determined she is by standing up to Thomas's cruelty and asking for a divorce. She again demonstrates her strength when she makes plans to escape Thomas. Most women in her situation would accept the cruelty as a natural part of their lives. However, Mary feels she is entitled to...