Ellen Foster

Ellen figures out that her grandmother bought the farms belonging to her father and his brother Rudolph and was controlling her father through the money that she had Rudolph deliver. Ellen learns that after she left the house, her grandmother decreased the payments, and her father quickly wasted the money. Ellen says her father had a “lap dog” heart and she blames him for being weak enough to be beat to death by a little old lady, even if she is mean. Ellen says his death was caused by a vein or head fuse exploding.

Mama’s mama is a difficult patient, but Ellen tells herself, “I will look after this one good and I will not let a soul push me around this time” (77). She wants to ask why her grandmother cannot see Ellen is not like her father, and her grandmother replies, “All I know is when I look in your face I see that bastard and everything he did to my girl” (78). She blames Ellen for helping cause her mother’s death, being in cahoots with her father, and says she means to punish her.

As she sits by her bed, Ellen imagines the blankets are waves of an ocean, but she suspects her mama’s mama was never at