Dec 25, 2009

A Girl of the Limberlost | Characters

Elnora Comstock repeatedly compares herself with Freckles; just as he represents Porter's masculine ideal, she achieves the appropriate balance of independence and domesticity. Porter's approval is indicated by the dedication of A Girl of the Limberlost to her daughter, Jeannette Helen Porter.

Like the Swamp Angel in Freckles (1904), Elnora is not the conventional young Victorian lady. Growing up at the edge of the Limberlost Swamp has made her independent, although initially she cares more about formal education than about the knowledge to be gained from nature. Her...