Alyce (also Brat and sometimes Beetle) is the protagonist and main point-of-view character of The Midwife’s Apprentice. Living without a home or family and unsure of her age or much else about herself, Alyce begins the book focused primarily on her most immediate needs—food and shelter—keeping herself alive by stealing the occasional turnip or onion and leaving town each time she is run off.

At the beginning of the book, Alyce has the “frightened air of an ill-used child” (2), which represents both the emotional journey she takes as well as how much she changes over the course of the story. As Brat, Alyce is timid and unsure, deferring to others and giving in to her fear so that she only takes definitive action by accident or after waffling about what to do. Nonetheless, she proves herself to be both resourceful—choosing to sleep in a dung heap due to its warmth—and generous and kind, as evidenced by her sharing her food and space with the cat.

Adopting the name Alyce jumpstarts her growth and character arc. Rather than frightened and hesitant, Alyce becomes bolder and more confident, speaking her mind and taking clear measures to better her situation.