44 pages 1 hour read

Lana Ferguson

The Nanny

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2003

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Character Analysis

Cassie Evans

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses child neglect.

Cassie Evans is the protagonist, narrator, and titular character of The Nanny. She is a third-year graduate student studying occupational therapy who wants to become an occupational therapist to help children who might not receive help elsewhere. Cassie had a tough childhood as she was the unplanned and unwanted child of two selfish people; her friend, Wanda, describes Cassie’s parents as being people who “shouldn’t have been parents” (348). Cassie’s parents frequently complained to her that they had to work so much to support her, which often left Cassie neglected and needing to fend for herself as a child. One night when she is cooking because no adult is there to help her, young Cassie spills boiling water on herself, leaving her back permanently scarred.

Cassie is emotionally scarred from her upbringing and constantly feels that she is the burden her parents always told her she was. To make ends meet once she starts graduate school, Cassie makes a page on OnlyFans, a subscriber-based website often used for pornographic content. Hiding her identity with a mask and wig and going by the name Cici, Cassie feels empowered through her OnlyFans as she makes videos and performs private shows for subscribers.