Saul, Eliza’s father, functions as a deuteragonist and, in many ways, an antagonist. He is a character whose core motivation, the pursuit of spiritual transcendence, remains largely unchanged throughout the novel. A scholar of Jewish mysticism, Saul is driven by a lifelong obsession with achieving a direct connection with God, a quest that began in his youth with explorations of LSD and rabbinical school. His intellectual and spiritual pursuits render him emotionally isolated from his family, a condition symbolized by his cluttered, windowless study. He views his children as potential instruments for his own spiritual validation, with limited attention to their independent needs. His parental attention shifts depending on which child appears most aligned with his ambitions, shaping relationships around conditional approval.

Saul’s relationship with Eliza shows how his involvement is structured through his own interpretive framework. Upon discovering her talent, he immediately redirects his focus from Aaron to Eliza, channeling his attention into her development. He projects his own Kabbalistic framework onto her spelling ability, interpreting her skill as evidence of a mystical gift he can cultivate. He tells her, “Both spelling bees and Torah scribes share the idea that a word should be constructed perfectly or not at all” (81), recasting her talent to fit his esoteric worldview. This reframing prevents him from seeing or celebrating Eliza on her own terms, as she becomes linked to his attempt to access shefa. His guidance directs her toward an increasingly restrictive system of practice, shaping her experience in ways that align with his aims while limiting her engagement with the world beyond it.

Despite his deep knowledge of the divine power of language, Saul is incapable of using it to foster emotional intimacy with his family. His marriage to Miriam is a partnership of convenience, “a marriage of mutual utility” built on shared isolation and functional dependence (47), where intimacy is limited and does not operate as a source of emotional connection. He uses language as a shield: When confronted with Aaron’s spiritual searching, his response takes the form of a harsh tirade that exposes Miriam’s illness. His demand that Aaron “just be like [him]” reveals the extent of his self-focused perspective (265), showing how he prioritizes control and alignment with his worldview over understanding others. Saul’s pattern of response is evident in his reaction to Eliza’s deliberate misspelling; even in this moment, his attention remains fixed on his own disrupted expectations and doesn’t extend to her decision to step away.

Miriam, Eliza’s mother, is a character whose private search for order runs parallel to her husband’s spiritual pursuits. A highly intelligent and successful lawyer who hasn’t worked in 10 years, Miriam exists largely in her own world, where her withdrawal from professional life aligns with a deepening inward focus on control, symmetry, and routine. Her focus centers on achieving a state of order and symmetry that she inwardly calls “Perfectimundo,” a concept rooted in her desire to correct an internal sense of dislocation through external arrangement. This focus is reflected in repeated patterns of behavior, such as her nightly cleaning routines and, most significantly, her secret practice of taking and storing objects without permission. Within her marriage, physical intimacy is infrequent, and when it does occur, she leaves the bedroom afterward and returns to her routines. Her difficult childhood, marked by immense parental pressure and social maladjustment, has shaped her into a solitary adult who struggles to connect with her own children, viewing Eliza as a “gosling born into a family of ducks” (59).

Miriam’s behavior around collecting objects becomes a key way she organizes meaning. She rationalizes her stealing as a spiritual mission, a form of Tikkun Olam, or “the fixing of the world” (87). In her mind, she is restoring misplaced elements into a coherent whole, arranging them within her storage unit according to her sense of order. This carefully arranged collection reflects how she constructs stability through external objects, creating a space that is ordered yet separate from her family life. Her attempt to achieve wholeness doesn’t extend to her relationships, and the kaleidoscope she gives Eliza reflects this pattern, as its intended meaning isn’t communicated in a way that Eliza can understand.

Miriam’s trajectory becomes visible when her actions are exposed. Her behavior escalates from shoplifting to breaking and entering, leading to her arrest and the revelation of her secret life. This event brings the family’s underlying tensions into view. Her subsequent commitment to a psychiatric hospital marks the collapse of the system she has maintained, as the structure she created can no longer be sustained. Miriam’s story shows how her sustained focus on order and control shapes her relationships and contributes to the distance within the family.

Aaron, Eliza’s older brother, serves as a foil to his sister, with his experiences shaped by a search for identity, belonging, and spiritual meaning within the family’s shifting dynamics. Initially, Aaron is the favored child, as he is the focus of Saul’s rabbinical ambitions and his partner in the intellectual sanctuary of the study. This position, however, is contingent on Saul’s perception of his potential. Within the synagogue, Aaron feels like royalty, but at school, he is bullied and socially isolated. His sense of self develops in relation to these contrasting environments, shaped by his father’s conditional approval.

The turning point for Aaron comes when Saul abruptly shifts his attention to Eliza. This change leaves Aaron without the structure that had previously guided his sense of purpose, leading him to pursue his own search for meaning. He begins exploring different religious traditions, from Catholicism to Buddhism, before finding a sense of community with the Hare Krishnas. This exploration reflects his attempt to establish direction outside the family as he seeks the “God consciousness” he craves, a replacement for the connection he has lost with his father. His eventual devotion to Krishna, complete with a new name and spiritual practices, marks a move toward an identity formed beyond his father’s influence.

Aaron’s relationship with Eliza evolves from that of a protective older sibling to one of resentful distance and, finally, to compassionate understanding. Having been a vessel for his father’s ambition himself, he is uniquely positioned to recognize the pressure that Eliza is under. He becomes the only family member to offer her genuine, selfless guidance. In a moment of quiet connection, he warns her, “Make sure it’s what you want and not what Dad wants. Because he can be pretty convincing sometimes. Okay?” (246). This act of empathy shows his growth from a resentful, displaced son into a mature individual capable of seeing beyond his own pain. His trajectory draws attention to how parental expectations shape each child differently and how he gradually repositions himself in relation to those expectations.

Dr. Morris is the principal of McKinley Elementary School and represents the school’s initial judgment of Eliza. He oversees the Talented and Gifted program that has excluded Eliza, contributing to how she is positioned as an unimpressive student within the school environment. His interaction with Saul during Parents’ Night reveals his sensitivity to parental ambition, informed by his own experience raising a daughter with a disability. He dismissed Saul’s concerns about Eliza, telling him to “appreciate what [he has]” (6). This dismissal contributes to Saul’s later response, as Saul becomes determined to prove the school’s assessment of his daughter wrong. Dr. Morris thus serves as an early institutional figure whose actions influence the direction of the novel’s conflict.

Sinna is initially presented as Eliza’s foil in the academic sphere; she is “the smartest girl in school” (7), against whom Eliza’s position is defined within the school setting. Her role centers on reflecting the existing academic hierarchy at McKinley Elementary. Her surprise elimination from the school spelling bee is the event that first opens the door for Eliza’s unexpected ascent. Later, Sinna’s admiration and friendship toward Eliza mark the shift in Eliza’s social standing. She becomes a peer who recognizes Eliza’s ability, indicating a change in how Eliza is perceived within that environment.

Chali, whose birth name is John, serves as a guide for Aaron within an alternative spiritual community. As a devotee of the Hare Krishna movement, he is kind, patient, and understanding. He finds Aaron in a moment of spiritual seeking and provides him with the guidance, acceptance, and structured belief system that differs from what Aaron experiences within his family. Chali offers Aaron a way to achieve “God consciousness” and a community where he feels like he belongs. In this role, he supports Aaron’s movement toward an identity formed outside the Naumann family’s expectations.