God Help the Child

Main Characters and Their Development

• Lula Ann Bridewell, also known as Bride, is the main character of the book. She was born with very dark skin, which led to rejection by her mother. As she grows up, Bride becomes a successful and confident woman working in the beauty industry. However, her past and childhood traumas continue to affect her life and relationships. Throughout the book, she faces the need to reconcile with herself and her past to move forward.
• Sweetness, Bride's mother, is a complex character whose inability to accept her daughter's dark skin profoundly impacts Bride's development. Sweetness believes that Bride's dark skin is a curse, and this belief shapes her harsh treatment of her daughter.
• Booker Starling is a man with whom Bride enters into a relationship. He also has his own traumas and secrets from the past that affect his behavior and relationship with Bride. His interaction with Bride helps him begin the process of healing and self-discovery.
• Sofia Hines is a former teacher who played an important role in Bride's life when she was a child. Sofia becomes a symbol of injustice and remorse when Bride encounters her in adulthood.