Nell is the novel’s heroine, but while the novel focuses on her and her doings, she is arguably more of a catalyst for other characters’ storylines than a fully formed character herself. She exists to motivate others while wanting nothing for herself. This sheds light on “why” Nell dies: Once the other characters have achieved their goals (or died trying), there is nothing left for her to do but die. More than anything else, Nell is an embodiment of Dickensian domesticity and (closely related) ideal femininity.

Nell’s life with her grandfather is one of constant self-sacrifice. If she seems to have little desire of her own, it is perhaps because her grandfather’s needs consume all her attention. Even as she leads them further and further towards the rural domesticity she craves, she continually abandons her own comfort and security for his sake. When he steals her wages—a sight that deeply disturbs Nell—she never once prioritizes herself or considers leaving him. Her sense of duty to her family is unwaveringly strong, but it only extends to her grandfather. A modern reader may find themselves frustrated by how one-dimensional Nell seems in comparison to other main characters in the novel. Though Nell does change somewhat as the novel progresses, growing wiser in her dealings with the world, she functions primarily as a symbol of innocence and virtue.