Nell is the protagonist of The Diamond Age. She starts off as an abused, traumatized thete. Nell learns to overcome this early trauma, and she does so through both formal and informal education. Her double in the Primer is Princess Nell, a secret princess whose fairy-tale adventures and trials allow her to become a queen.

As a little girl, Nell is confined to an apartment block in a slum, dependent on her equally abused and neglected brother to survive. Her early interest in how to operate the matter compiler in her apartment shows that Nell has a spark of intelligence that exceeds what is expected of her as a thete. When she happens to get the Primer, this magic book allows her to engage with a richer virtual environment than what Harv and Tequila can provide. However, technologically mediated education isn’t enough for Nell to become who she needs to be to survive and thrive.

It takes social and emotional connections—the persistent presence of Miranda in the Primer, Constable Moore’s direct instruction about psychological health, socialization at Miss Matheson’s, and having a friend group of two other girls with Primers—for Nell to mature. She emerges from her time in Dovetail and at the school with greater academic knowledge, but most important is her ability to create her own sense of safety.