Gilly Hopkins is an eleven-year-old girl who has been in foster care since she was three. After years of moving from one home to another, she has developed a nearly impenetrable shield against everyone she meets to hide the rejection she feels over her biological mother’s abandonment of her. Surly, mischievous, and manipulative, Gilly can “stand anything” if she is “in charge” (6). However, there is more to Gilly’s personality than this image she portrays to everyone. Maime Trotter, William Ernest, Miss Harris, and Mr. Rudolph’s reliable and loving demeanors melt Gilly’s hard outer shell over the course of the novel. Gilly is a dynamic character, and her transformation begins when she finds that her usual methods of pushing people away do not work on the people she meets in Thompson Park.

Initially, she judges everyone she meets based on superficial appearances. She is rude toward Maime Trotter in the hopes of getting a rise out of her, but Maime Trotter shows patience. When Miss Ellis recommends that perhaps Gilly be moved to another family after Gilly steals money from Maime Trotter and tries to run away, Maime Trotter pleads Gilly’s case, stating that someone needs to “favor Gilly” (94). At school, Gilly achieves great strides in Miss Harris’ class, only to suddenly stop doing her work to get a reaction from Miss Harris.