Annie is the protagonist of the story, and her internal conflict drives the narrative forward. Her situation with Ben reflects the modern dilemma of many families who struggle to balance everyday life with caretaking responsibilities. Annie takes on this struggle with a good deal of independence and dispassion. The second line of the story is “I tell no one” (Paragraph 1) suggesting that she chooses to take complete responsibility for his care. Annie also makes no mention of struggling financially once Ben transforms, suggesting that she makes a decent living, whatever she does. However, Annie’s self-sufficiency comes at a cost as she becomes increasingly isolated. The coworkers and friends who used to call to ask about Ben stop calling.

Annie’s tragic flaw is her hopefulness. For most of the story, she believes Ben will return to his human form. Even after she abandons this notion, releasing him into the sea, she still longs for his return, checking the newspapers to see if a naked man has washed ashore. Despite letting go of Ben physically, he is still at the center of her thoughts when the story closes.