I Capture the Castle

Main Characters and Their Development

• Cassandra Mortmain: The main character and narrator of the novel. She keeps a journal in which she describes her life and her family's life in the old castle. Cassandra is intelligent, observant, and dreamy. Throughout the book, she matures, learns to understand her feelings, and makes difficult decisions.
• Rose Mortmain: Cassandra's older sister. Rose is beautiful and ambitious but often dissatisfied with her life in poverty. She dreams of marrying a wealthy man to improve her situation. Over the course of the book, she confronts the reality of her desires and learns to appreciate genuine feelings.
• James Mortmain: Cassandra and Rose's father. He is a writer experiencing a creative block and unable to finish his second book. James is reclusive and eccentric, but eventually finds inspiration and returns to writing.
• Topaz Mortmain: Cassandra and Rose's stepmother. Topaz is an eccentric artist and model who genuinely cares for her family. She supports James and helps him overcome his crisis, and also becomes a close friend to Cassandra.
• Simon Cotton: The American heir to the castle who arrives in England with his brother Neil. Simon falls in love with Rose but later realizes his feelings for her are not as deep as he thought. Eventually, he begins to develop feelings for Cassandra.
• Neil Cotton: Simon's brother, who also comes to England. Neil is more down-to-earth and practical than Simon. He becomes friends with Cassandra and helps her better understand herself and her emotions.