Last Updated on February 26, 2020, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 275

Beth

The protagonist of the story is a woman named Beth who essentially saves her husband time and time again from making mistakes with other women. She is very strong and very smart, unafraid to fight for her husband and defend herself. Beth protects her husband and her marriage against attacks from other women, such as Granny Lith and Lil.

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Casey

Casey is Beth's husband. He had two wives before Beth who both mysteriously died. He met Aunt Granny Lith while playing hide-and-seek as a child and accidentally promised himself to her after a practical joke went awry. As a result, Granny Lith seems to have cursed him and any other woman he attempts to marry.

Lil

Lil is Beth and Casey's nearest neighbor. She makes a habit of seducing relatively helpless and hapless men, like the intoxicated Casey.

Aunt Granny Lith

Aunt Granny Lith is a very old woman who never married or had children, but she delivered hundreds of children as a midwife. After a hospital was built near the town, she became a recluse, living in a nearby cave. Aunt Granny Lith is similar to Lil, as she also wants Beth's husband for herself. Combined, Lil and Lith's names spell Lilith: one can find references to the mythological Lilith in many different religious and cultural traditions, and she is strongly associated with darkness, sexuality, and freedom.

Nomey

Nomey is Beth's mother. She helps Beth figure out Casey's curse and advises the young couple on how to protect themselves from Granny Lith. It is Nomey who tells Beth that women are oftentimes smarter than men and who empowers her daughter to become a strong, capable wife and mother.