The Magician's Nephew features a complex interaction among its characters, but Digory Kirke is the main character. At the start of the novel, Digory and his mother are living with his aunt, because his mother is deathly ill and cannot care for him. One important aspect of The Magician's Nephew is how Digory matures from chapter to chapter. At the start of the novel, he is impulsive and determined to have his own way, even when having his own way hurts others. When on Charn, he actually hurts Polly in order to ring the bell that revives Jadis.

On the other hand, Polly, who lives down the block from Digory, is not as driven in her behavior as Digory. After all, her mother is not dying. She just wants to make friends, and crawling through the attic to the abandoned house does seem like a fine...