Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

Alice Greer

Alice Greer is Taylor's first mentor and guide (which makes sense, since she's her mom), and she raises her girl as best she can. Although Taylor leaves her Mama in Pittman County, Kentucky, the two remain close despite the long distance between them. When the chips are down, Taylor knows that she can always call or write to her Mama if she needs her.

Mattie

In some ways Mattie is Alice Greer's double. Taylor certainly finds that the older woman reminds her of her Mama, and it's partly that resemblance that makes Mattie such a trusted and respected friend. Through Mattie, Taylor learns more about the world than she ever learned in Pittman County, and through Mattie' influence, she commits to a new set of moral responsibilities that will shape the way she lives in the world from that point on.