Appetite for Innocence

Ella Stevenson serves as the novel’s primary protagonist, a dynamic and round character whose journey charts the course from ordinary adolescence through profound trauma to the arduous beginnings of recovery. Initially presented as a typical high school student, Ella is a dedicated long-distance runner who shares a close bond with her single mother, Jocelyn. Her identity is rooted in normalcy, discipline, and a loving home environment. This stable sense of self is systematically dismantled following her abduction by Derek Hunt. Her initial response to captivity is one of fierce resistance. She screams, fights her captors, and refuses to eat, demonstrating a strong will to survive on her own terms. However, as the reality of her imprisonment in the soundproof basement becomes clear, her survival instinct shifts from overt defiance to strategic compliance. This evolution marks the beginning of a profound internal fracturing, a central element of her character arc.

The experience of trauma fundamentally alters Ella’s perception of herself, a process Berry explores through the theme of The Challenges to Self-Restoration in the Wake of Trauma. Ella describes a sense of being split into two separate entities, stating, “My mind and body are separate now” (11).