Ellen Foster

At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to …

…that both Ellen, the main character, and Gibbons overcame the ties that bound them to their unhappiness and found the true meaning of love and family. Ellen Foster emerges as a heroine that has overcome the insurmountable troubles of life. This allows the reader to behold the power of one small person, an eleven-year-old girl. Some heroes emerge gloriously, but many of them earn their title by overcoming the everyday hardships that people must face.