Ellen Foster Character Analysis

Conner Longmire
Contemporary Authors, Period 8
7 December 2011
The Ignorance to Suffering The story of Ellen Foster is a beautifully written novel that shows the true long-term affect of how abuse affects the child emotionally, spiritually and psychologically. The book Ellen Foster written by Kaye Gibbons is about a ten year old girl named Ellen Foster in how she deals with abuse from her intimidate family however, Grandmother, Aunts and cousin. At the same time, she battles with racial discrimination while trying to obtain an intimate friendship with another colored female. There are three antagonists; Ellen’s grandmother, Aunt Betsy and Aunt Nadine who clearly see Ellen’s suffering, however do not do anything to help Ellen out of her
Why would Ellen ever do that? Ellen did everything in her power to protect her mother from her abusive father and always helped her mother out when she needed it. For an example, when Ellen’s father demanded that Ellen’s mother to make dinner right out of the hospital and Ellen helps her mother make dinner for the family. Later that night, Ellen’s mother begins to cry, Ellen does her best to comfort her own mother and try to convince that everything will be all right. After the night that Ellen’s mother sobs, her mother commits suicide by swallowing down the whole bottle of heart medication. After this incident, Ellen demands “Vomit them up, mama”(Gibbons 9). Ellen tried to convince her mother to hold onto life and tried to rescue her mother from death. Ellen did everything she could to save her mother and it is beyond cruel for her Grandmother to accuse Ellen of killing her daughter. Mamma’s Mamma purposely tortured Ellen in order to fill her own satisfaction by having her own revenge, Ellen did not deserve one once of her grandmother’s
On one day, Ellen calls Aunt Betsy to pick her up and take her underneath her care so Ellen can escape the nastiness of her Grandmother. None of the less, Aunt Betsy complies and takes Ellen to her beautiful home. After a fun and exciting weekend with her Aunt, all of a sudden Aunt Betsy, does not want to bear the responsibility of caring for a child and so she makes the excuse of addressing to Ellen “ I meant you could stay for the weekend and go back to your home” (Gibbons 42). She blantily knows that Ellen does not enjoy the company of her grandmother and used to live in an abusive household. At that time, Aunt Betsy leads on Ellen to pack her belongings and live with her, then suddenly decides to have Ellen leave her