Laura Rambotham

Mother

Laura has a close but strained relationship with her mother, who is both a source of support and pressure for her to succeed socially and academically.

Pin

Pin is Laura's younger sister, and their bond is marked by sibling affection, rivalry, and Laura's protective yet sometimes dismissive attitude.

Evelyn Souttar

Evelyn is Laura's closest friend at school, offering companionship and emotional support, though their relationship is tested by social pressures.

Mrs. Gurley

Mrs. Gurley is the school principal, and Laura's interactions with her are formal and often tense, reflecting Laura's rebellious nature.

Bob

Bob is a young man who shows romantic interest in Laura, and their interactions are flirtatious but ultimately superficial and awkward.

Tilly Macnamara

Tilly is a popular and manipulative girl at school who often clashes with Laura, creating a competitive and hostile dynamic.

M. P.

M. P. is a fellow student with whom Laura has a casual acquaintance, interacting mainly in the context of school life.

Chinky

Chinky is a school friend who shares Laura's sense of mischief and provides a loyal, if sometimes childish, companionship.

Maria Morell

Maria is a kind and steady friend to Laura, offering a calming influence amid the social turmoil of school.

Godmother

Godmother is a wealthy relative who provides Laura with material gifts and occasional advice, but their relationship is distant and formal.

Sarah

Sarah is a servant in Laura's household, and Laura treats her with a mix of condescension and occasional kindness.

Mary Pidwall

Mary is a schoolmate who becomes a close confidante, sharing secrets and supporting Laura through her social struggles.

The Getting of Wisdom

The protagonist, leaving home for boarding school, feeling both eager and nervous.

I

Cuts off a curl to make a bouquet for her mother, feels misunderstood, and struggles with her mother's disapproval.

II

Awakens on her last morning at home, avoids her mother's talk, hides in the summerhouse, says goodbye to the garden and pets, and prepares to leave for school.

III

Travels alone to boarding school, struggling with pride, grief, and self-consciousness.

IV

Laura arrives at her godmother's house and later visits the boarding school, where she feels anxious and tries to please Mrs. Gurley.

V

The protagonist, a new and lonely boarder, mocked for her name and family circumstances.

VI

Laura writes letters home describing her school life, is scolded by her mother, and promises to behave better.

VII

Struggles with school discipline, feels humiliated by Mrs. Gurley, and tries to make friends despite her naivety.

VIII

Laura is the protagonist, enduring a disappointing holiday visit to Godmother's house.

IX

Returns to school feeling glad to be back; receives a scolding letter from Mother; forms a friendship with Inez and Bertha; experiences a crisis of intellectual confidence after Miss Hicks's criticism; attempts to improve but fails during a visit to Mr. Strachey, leading to humiliation and social setback.

The Purple Dress and the Price of Conformity

Struggles with social conformity, poverty, and shame over her mother's dressmaking; lies about the source of her mended stockings.

XI

Foolishly confides her mother's work to Lilith, then joins in mocking Lilith's uncle, only to be threatened with exposure.

XII

Laura grapples with her feelings of empathy for Annie Johns and her own fear of being different from her peers.

XIII

Now thirteen, promoted two forms, curious and nimble-witted, becomes a leader in Bible-based sexual speculation but remains naive about boys.

XIV

Feels flattered but embarrassed about Bob's interest; struggles with shyness and social awkwardness during the promenade and lunch.

XV

Struggles with social interactions and feels like a heretic among peers who focus on marriage as the goal after school.

XVI

Visits the Shepherd household; observes the family dynamics with a critical eye; enjoys reading and later listening to Mr. Shepherd's travel tales.

XVII

Laura invents a detailed romantic narrative about Mr. Shepherd to impress her friends, showing her skill in lying and her desperation for social approval.

XVIII

Laura is the central figure whose lies about a romance with Mr. Shepherd are exposed, leading to her social downfall and intense shame.

XIX

Ostracized at school after being labeled a liar; further implicated when Chinky steals a half-sovereign to buy her a ring. At the seaside, she quarrels with Pin and feels alienated from home, ultimately deciding she belongs at school.

The Rebel's Return

Returns to school after holidays, embittered and rebellious, but outwardly toadying to regain acceptance. She becomes sly and tactical, learning to conceal her true opinions.

XXI

Struggles with writing for the Literary Society, oscillating between romantic fantasy and dull realism; grapples with her own prickly personality and truth-telling after her earlier fall from grace.

XXII

Struggles with being moved to Evelyn's room, then blossoms under Evelyn's friendship, regaining self-assurance and sharing her secrets.

Gut und böse und Lust und Leid und Ich und Du

Laura is consumed by jealousy and possessiveness over Evelyn, neglecting her studies and failing her exams. She struggles with the impending separation and her own lack of self-control.

XXIV

Struggles with guilt over her secret failure, becomes irritable and isolated, then turns to intense religious devotion.

XXV

Laura discusses her future with friends, feels like a square peg, and runs through a park after leaving school.