Anne Fine presents the character of Tulip in multiple ways, but there are three key ones. These are destructive, manipulative and a victim.
Tulip is destructive of herself others and objects. For example, when Natalie is watching Tulip burn things in a dustbin, she said “Her eyes widened...They'd widen again from all the spitting orange magic”. I think that the word “magic” show how enchanted Tulip is by the fire, and how she clearly loves watching the flames flicker and destroy things. This may be one of her coping mechanisms to handle all her anger. It is Natalie who says this, which implies that she is also slightly fascinated and impressed by the flames.
Manipulative is another way that