# Ally — Short Fiction character guide

> Ally in Short Fiction by George MacDonald.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Alice, Dear Alice, Alice Hopwood

**First appearance:** 0000-a-double-story

## Snapshot

Alice Hopwood, called Ally by those who love her, a young woman whose steady warmth is tested by loyalty, loss, and the cost of keeping faith.

## Who they are

Ally belongs to a close-knit world of family and neighbors where reputation and affection are tangled together, and she is trusted by nearly everyone in it. Her devotion to the people she loves sometimes outruns her judgment, leaving her exposed to disappointments she refuses to name aloud. Her constancy gives the story its emotional throughline, holding relationships together even as circumstances pull them apart.

## Relationships

### [Richard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/richard)

_friendship_

Ally and Richard are close companions, likely sharing adventures or mutual support.

### [John Jephson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/john_jephson)

_friendship_

Ally and John Jephson have a strong bond of friendship, with frequent interactions suggesting camaraderie.

### [John Jephson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/john_jephson)

_friendship_

Ally and John Jephson have a strong bond of friendship, with frequent interactions suggesting camaraderie.

### [John Jephson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/john_jephson)

_friendship_

Ally and John Jephson have a strong bond of friendship, with frequent interactions suggesting camaraderie.

### [Richard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/richard)

_friendship_

Ally and Richard are close companions, likely sharing adventures or mutual support.

### [Richard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/richard)

_friendship_

Ally and Richard are close companions, likely sharing adventures or mutual support.

## In the story

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/ii)

Alice, the squire's daughter, who follows Peaseblossom into a dreamlike adventure.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/iv)

Alice accompanies Richard, initially disdainful of his presence in Fairyland, but eventually relies on him for help and safety.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/i)

The nurse (Alice) who cares for Phosy; she is careless, rough, and self-satisfied, often neglecting or mistreating the child.

### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/ii)

Alice, the housemaid, asserts her independence after inheriting money, challenging class hierarchies and refusing to continue in domestic service.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/iii)

Alice, now an heiress, treats John Jephson with scorn and insists on being called 'Miss Cox,' signaling her new social aspirations.

### [Chapter V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/v)

Alice Hopwood; returns in disgrace after her illegitimacy is revealed, losing her inheritance; humiliated and weeping, she confesses to Mrs. Greatorex.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/vi)

Confesses her past shame to John Jephson, who forgives her.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/ally
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters