Marci serves as the narrator and protagonist of her own coming-of-age story. At the beginning of the story, she is 11 years old and almost completely passive. Marci is defined by her wishes for Eddie to disappear and for her to become a boy. Her observations about the adult world which give her the motivation to become active.

Though she advocates for herself through prayer and questioning adults, her faith in both religion and adults prevents her action. If she prays and refrains from sin, for example, she believes that God will take care of her. Only by letting go of this faith is she able to act on her own. Her fantasy about tying Eddie to the bed is the first time she allows herself to indulge in thoughts that are antithetical to her religion and to the decorum of the adults around her.

Marci is a resilient character. The descriptions of her bruises and scars are written objectively. This is not to suggest that she views Eddie’s violence as mundane, but it illustrates the way her worldview becomes scientific. Her resiliency partially comes from her observational approach. When she begins to take photos of Eddie and Wanda, she behaves in the way a scientist would: she learns patterns, distances herself from her subjects, and uses technology.