Vyry is the daughter of Marster John, the owner of Shady Oaks plantation, and Hetta, a slave on the plantation. When Vyry is introduced in the novel, she’s only two years old and her mother is dying. Vyry is left in the care of Mammy Sukey, who dies shortly after Vyry moves into the big house to be Miss Lillian’s maid. Vyry is seven years old at this time. After Marster John observes his wife Salina’s violent anger toward Vyry, he moves Vyry out of the Big House. When Vyry is 10, she moves into Aunt Sally’s cabin, and Aunt Sally becomes her surrogate maternal figure. Vyry shares with Miss Lillian, John’s legitimate daughter, the “same sandy hair, same gray-blue eyes, same milk-white skin” (28). Vyry and Lillian are also around the same age.

When Vyry becomes a teenager, she becomes romantically involved with Randall Ware, a free black man. Her interest in Ware in fueled by her desire to become free. He tells her that he has enough money to buy Vyry’s freedom and will do so if she marries him. Vyry, however, gets pregnant by Ware before he can buy her freedom, which Marster John refuses to allow.