The Marrow of Tradition

The daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Merkell, Olivia is one of the novel’s primary characters. She has long resented the presence of her half sister Janet in Wellington, and when Olivia becomes pregnant, the sight of Janet and Janet’s son is enough to send Olivia into shock and early labor. She gives birth and just barely survives, knowing that Dodie will be her only child. Despite her antipathy for her half sister, she considers herself a “good woman” and wrestles with the question of her father’s will when she discovers it. She is only able to acknowledge Janet when it becomes a matter of Dodie’s life or death.

The major is the last of the Carteret line and the closest thing the novel has to a single antagonist. Although his family has lost its wealth and Dr. Miller now lives in his ancestral home, he has—with his wife’s money—founded a successful newspaper, the Morning Chronicle. A mouthpiece for the Democratic party, it seeks to stir up anti-Black sentiment. Major Carteret believes the Black race is inferior and must be subjugated and subsequently expelled from America. However, considering himself a gentleman, he is unwilling to directly involve himself in racial violence or murder.