Jim, who is referred to as “the boy” throughout the story, has many fears and anxieties. He worries about his parents and their ability to make the right decisions. He marvels at their physical beauty—and the ugliness of their feet—but fears that their presence is tenuous. His mother recently experienced a burst appendix, a stillborn, and a nervous breakdown. Her new pregnancy renews the boy’s fears about her safety.

Though limited in his understanding of the world, the boy is a careful observer. He searches for a role model to help him find his way and frequently fantasizes about his stillborn brother, also named Jim.

When the girl arrives, the boy suddenly finds a new and unexpected mentor who is adept at maneuvering safely through the world. The boy doesn’t mind the upheavals she causes in their lives. Instead, her strangeness fascinates him, and he wants to learn everything about her.

The boy’s deepest desire is to be understood. He wants to feel someone look at him as he truly is. The author writes, “He wanted to know in what way it would be possible for himself to be known by her, known completely, like a car she would work on: he wanted to be fixed by her by being known, by being thoroughly and utterly known” (67).