Thirteen-year-old Eel is the protagonist and narrator of The Great Trouble. He adopted his nickname after being orphaned and left in the care of his abusive stepfather, Fisheye Bill Tyler. During that earlier time, he was forced to work as a thief at his stepfather’s behest. Later, after he and Henry escape Fisheye’s control, he works as a mudlark, searching the banks of the Thames for items to salvage and sell. Eel is aware of his nickname’s capacity as a metaphor for his adaptability, and he uses this comparison to obtain his initial employment with Dr. John Snow.

Eel is clever and hardworking, and he uses these skills to survive as an impoverished orphan in Victorian London, simultaneously providing for his brother, Henry. At the beginning of the novel, he works at Lion Brewery, which provides him with safe lodging and reliable meals. Despite this advantage, Eel is known for picking up additional odd jobs. He secretly uses the money he earns from these jobs to pay for Henry’s lodging at a boarding house. When Eel is falsely accused of stealing and is fired from the Lion, he uses his cleverness and diligence to find other work, including the difficult task of helping a “coffin man” to remove dead cholera victims from housing on Broad Street.