Meet the Cast
Ella
Funny, impetuous, kind, loyal, brave, smart… gee, Ella sounds pretty great to us. Let's take a look at what makes her so lovable:Wild ChildElla isn't exactly what you'd call meek or mild. She may...
Prince Charmont
Okay, Prince Charmont, or …Prince CharmingHow about both? "Prince Charmont" is almost an exact translation of "Prince Charming" in French (though it'd be "charmant," not "charmont"). You might kn...
Mandy
We would love to have a kitchen fairy. (Especially if she cleaned, too.) Mandy's cooking is so famous that, when Lucinda visits, she refers to Mandy as "the kitchen fairy" (25.44). That's a pretty...
Sir Peter
The first thing we learn about Ella's father is that he was away on a trading expedition when she was born (1.3). This sets the tone for the rest of the novel, because we learn (1) that he's basica...
Hattie
The Rabbit When Ella first meets Hattie, she can't help but notice her large front teeth. So does Char, who writes in his journal: "I don't know how she managed to pour the words out while smiling...
Olive
The Clueless StepsisterFortunately for Ella, Olive is not as mean or manipulative as Hattie. Although, you get the sense that she would be, if she could. Unfortunately for Olive, she's just a littl...
Lady Eleanor
If there's one thing Disney has taught us, it's that you can't have a fairy tale without a dead mom. (Although it's not like Disney made that up—dead or absent moms, and dads, are a staple of lit...
Areida
Areida is Ella's only friend at finishing school. Like Ella, she's a little bit of an outcast: she has a funny accent, and her family is poor. Ella isn't poor yet, but she knows all about not fitti...
Dame Olga
Okay, let's start with the good.Doting MomWhatever her other faults (and there are plenty), Dame Olga adores her daughters. She introduces them as "my treasures" (3.17) and addresses letters to "My...
Lucinda
We don't know what kind of pixie dust Lucinda's been snorting, but she's a delusional and ditzy excuse for a fairy. Okay, we kind of thought that all fairies were like this, but evidently not: Mand...
Minor Characters
The Other FairiesAt the giant's wedding, Ella meets two other fairies: Cyril and Claudia. Unlike Lucinda, they're trying to pass as human. They have the good sense to be horrified at Lucinda's late...