Elsie

The protagonist of the short story “This Is All Mostly True” by Kathy Stevens is a 14-years-old girl named Elsie. She has no siblings (l. 31), and she lives with her mother and father. In the story, she is wearing a camouflage onesie (l. 138).

Elsie’s inner characterisation is constructed through her language, her thoughts, and her actions.

At the beginning of the story, Elsie recalls what her mother, her father, and Stacie say about lying: “Mum says lying is wrong; Dad says white lies are okay; Stacie says fiction is lies and fiction is the best thing in the world but your mum’s got a point” (ll. 1-2). Throughout the story, Elsie brings up lying and telling the truth several times, suggesting that she is preoccupied with and confused by the distinction between lies and truth and between types of lies: “People lie all the time and it’s not always bad. Lies can be funny, like Dad lying about the sugar. Lies are only really bad when the stakes are high.” (ll. 150-151)

We also learn that Elsie likes Stacie and enjoys her company, because Stacie is “very careful with the truth” (l. 24), suggesting she is considerate to Elsie. Note that, unlike with her mother and father, Elsie also describes Stacie’s appearance (ll. 24-26), which suggests that she might identify with Stacie and aspire to be like her, as they are closer in age. These details emphasise Elsie’s closeness to Stacie.

However, Elsie suspects that Stacie might be lying about being her friend, because Elsie's parents pay her: “She’s only my friend because I can’t go to school and y...