It’s never stated how old the unnamed narrator is, only that she is young enough to enjoy stomping in frozen puddles and to want a turn in the tire swing. Her parents likewise go unmentioned, but she’s lived with Granny and Granddaddy Cain through at least three different places (Judson’s woods, the Cooper place, the dairy). She is a close observer of her Granny, ever aware of where she is and what she’s doing, but she also closely watches Cathy, who seems to understand a lot about Granny’s motivations, “even though Cathy ain’t but a third cousin we picked up on the way last Thanksgivin visitin” (132).

The narrator is the protagonist insofar as she is the most prominent and enduring presence in the narrative. Because she primarily observes the plot action rather than advancing it, however, Granddaddy Cain’s character is the more conventionally heroic—his actions transform the situation and determine the plot arc. Nevertheless, the narrator’s consciousness is the organizing center of the story, and the world is translated through her perspective. Her character therefore governs the essence of the narrative, as her childlike viewpoint renders the plot events with a lightheartedness not otherwise possible: Granny’s long history of tribulation is serious subject matter, as is the county men’s intrusive behavior, yet the narrator’s naivete and wit imbue the story with a sense of levity.