Therese is the 19-year-old protagonist and the point-of-view character that the third-person narrator latches onto. Through a third-person limited point of view, the narrator limits themselves to Therese, spotlighting her inner life and personal growth. The narrator doesn’t describe Therese’s appearance, but Carol calls her “a very pretty girl” and “very sensitive” (38). Other characters reinforce Therese’s beauty; Richard is in love with her, Dannie kisses her, and Steve (the lumberjack) asks her on a date.

Therese’s sensitivity manifests through her feelings. She keenly feels the atomization of Frankenberg’s, her unremarkable sex with Richard, and her transcendent sex with Carol. She’s also vulnerable and insecure when it comes to Carol, and the intensity of her desire for Carol puts her in a fragile, defensive position. When Carol talks about Richard, Therese feels like a “distant jealousy pricked her” (70). After Carol reveals her affair with Abby, Therese doesn’t know if she feels “jealousy or shock or anger” (173). Concerning Carol, Therese is possessive and wants her to herself.

At times, Therese is assertive. After she meets Carol at Frankenberg’s, she doesn’t wait for her to come back; she sends her a Christmas card, kickstarting the series of events that form their relationship.