A bisexual Black woman existing in a heavily prejudiced 1970s society. She endures a persistent feeling of being deemed "wrong" in the eyes of the world due to her race, sex, and age. Heavily impacted by personal trauma and systemic global injustices, she internalizes these societal failures before ultimately turning her anger outward, rejecting external labels in favor of absolute self-determination.

The speaker's father, who actively contributes to her feelings of inadequacy. He openly harbors a desire for his daughter to have been born a boy, explicitly telling her she is "wrong." His interactions with his daughter bring the broader societal pressures of sexism directly into the family home.

The speaker's mother, who attempts to manage the racial prejudice her daughter faces by urging her to alter her physical features. She specifically pleads with the speaker to get plastic surgery on her nose, an act that reinforces the societal message that the speaker is physically "wrong" just as she is.