Sophie, the story’s protagonist, is an eight-year-old girl who lives in an orphanage in an English village. Her life changes forever when she peers out of her dormitory window and sees a giant creeping down the street. She is abducted by this giant, who turns out to be the Big Friendly Giant (BFG). Though Sophie is initially scared of the BFG, her curiosity and bravery spur her to overcome her fear of being in a strange place with a fantastical creature that has traditionally been portrayed as dangerous. Sophie’s friendship with the BFG allows her to overcome her assumptions that all giants are murderous man-eaters, and they discover that they have shared experiences despite their vastly different lives: Sophie’s loneliness and unhappiness at the orphanage and her maltreatment at the hands of Mrs. Clonkers bears similarities to the BFG’s isolation and his mistreatment by the other giants.

Sophie bonds with BFG as they get to know each other and formulate a plan to stop the other man-eating giants from their murderous nightly rampages. Sophie’s determination to do the right thing is foregrounded in this mission, as is her compassionate and kind nature. Furthermore, Sophie’s ingenious plan reveals her intelligence and ingenuity.