Characters

The narrator

The main character of the short story “Better Homes and Gardens” by Catherine Moffat is an unnamed male narrator. He is the protagonist of the story, and the narration follows his point of view.

The narrator is a child, most likely a pre-teen. He goes to the same school as his younger sister and hopes to become a chef when he grows up (l. 49). Because he is homeless, the narrator feels that he does not look like the other people: “Grace is too little to understand how important it is to appear normal, but Dad and I do. The kids at school are starting to notice something about me. Just like with Uncle, they can sense there's something different” (ll. 82-84).

We also know that the narrator wears a school uniform that is “too tight under the arms” (l. 86) because he has grown too much. He also has a school backpack (l. 129), and under the uniform he wears a white T-shirt (l. 142). He is also described wearing tracksuits or swimwear.

Regarding his inner characterisation, the narrator behaves in a mature way, despite his young age. He feels responsible for his younger sister and is attentive to her needs, stating that “It's my job to see she's safe” (ll. 2-3). Therefore, the narrator walks his sister to the car, carries her backpack, helps her with her party costume, makes her laugh, and takes care of her in the absence of his father. He also helps his father with...