Edward is the protagonist of the novel. Although he is a three-foot tall china rabbit and is unable to move or speak, he has sentience. He is unable to directly interact with the world around him, but he has thoughts about the people and experiences he encounters. At heart, the novel is about Edward’s change from self-centered to loving. In the beginning of the novel, Edward is best characterized as egotistical and materialistic. However, by the end, he not only knows what it means to love, but he yearns for it.

While Edward can’t talk or move, he is really great at listening. Each character he encounters seems to intuitively know that he listens, and they end up telling him their life stories. In this way, Edward is a cathartic character for the people who encounter him. For Lawrence and Nellie, they treat him like the son they lost, which allows them to work through the pain of that loss. For the vagabonds, Edward becomes a way to vocalize and therefore memorialize the people they left behind. And for Sarah Ruth, he becomes her source of comfort amidst her illness. In this way, Edward’s character changes according to the people he is around.