At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to …showed first 75 words of 753 total…

…showed last 75 words of 753 total…that both Ellen, the main character, and Gibbons overcame the ties that bound them to their unhappiness and found the true meaning of love and family. Ellen Foster emerges as a heroine that has overcome the insurmountable troubles of life. This allows the reader to behold the power of one small person, an eleven-year-old girl. Some heroes emerge gloriously, but many of them earn their title by overcoming the everyday hardships that people must face.