Helena Cranston

Character Analysis

Helena is our leading lady in this book—well, our leading mouse, at least. She's a VIP because she makes big decisions for her family and generally keeps an eye on everyone.

Helena is the oldest sister in her bunch—she's older than Louise, Beatrice, and Lamont—and she won't let us forget it. In fact, her mantra throughout the book is: "I am Helena, the oldest" (1.3). Okay, Helena, we get it.

To boot, Helena is our narrator for the entire story. (We've got lots to say on her first-person point of view, so head over to the "Narrative Technique" section and then join us back here. We'll wait.) We go along with Helena on every single journey she takes. Her trip across the sea definitely has some ups and downs, and we're going to get an up-close-and-personal view with Helena leading the way.

Drill Sergeant Helena Is in Charge

If you're looking to get ordered around, then look no further than our leading lady, Helena. She's got oodles of opinions on how things should be done, and she's not afraid to let you know when you're doing something wrong.

So when Louise wants to find out what the Upstairs Cranstons are up to, Helena tells her just what she thinks:

"Curiosity killed the cat," I called out to her. This is one of my favorite sayings. Beatrice would have scurried after her if I hadn't given her one of my looks. (2.23)

Watch out world: Helena is here to be in charge. Take a look at how Helena has lots of ways of letting her sisters know what she thinks—she tells Louise what's on her mind, and she gives Beatrice quite the look. It seems to us like Helena isn't afraid to take control of a situation—or at least try to.

But all this bossiness also makes Helena a good leader. And there are definitely times her siblings look to her to lead the way—like when Lamont loses his tail, or when they need to decide whether to travel to England or stay in America. Helena definitely knows how to hold down the fort when times get rocky.

So what do you think? Is Helena's bossiness a good thing or a bad thing?

Good Big Sis / Biggest Worrywart Around

There's no denying it: Helena is a serious worrywart. Yep—this gal can fret with the best of them. In fact, sometimes these worries feel pretty overwhelming for Helena:

I stared at the ceiling, and all my worries crowded round my matchbox.

Lamont, naturally. Always Lamont, thoughtless with death at every turn. The haystack. The barn. The hovering heads. The pouncing cats. The brimming river and the busy road. The rain barrel.

I'd be worried into an early grave for trying to keep him out of his. (49.11-13)

Poor Helena—the girl just doesn't get a break. Check out how she lists out all of her worries. And those are just the anxieties about Lamont; she's also pretty concerned about her sisters… and herself… and that whole sailing across Atlantic thing that's about to happen. She has a lot on her plate.

Helena might be a worrywart, but she frets over her siblings because she's a good big sister. In fact, maybe Helena's worrying is a positive thing sometimes—after all, she does take good care of her little bro and sisters. Who would sew Lamont's tail back on if she weren't there? Now that's pretty sweet.

What do you make of all Helena's worries? Are there any times when her anxieties become too much for her to handle? Or is the girl always able to keep her cool? We think it's a mixed bag, but that in the end her siblings are definitely lucky to have her.