The Wren, the Wren

Content Warning: This guide section depicts physical and emotional abuse.

Nell McDaragh is one of the two main protagonists in The Wren, The Wren. She is the daughter of Carmel McDaragh and the granddaughter of Phil McDaragh. She works as a content writer for an advertising agency, producing lifestyle and travel content for influencers.

Nell’s primary character motivation is to find ways to bridge the gap between the inner worlds of people. She is very perceptive and thoughtful about how the thought process differs from person to person. By testing her theory that connection consists in the act of translation, her narrative arc thus represents The Attempt to Define the World Through Language. It also explains her affinity for Phil because he is remembered for the way he heightened language in his poetry.

Nell’s relationship with Felim is one of the main sites of tension in her narrative arc. Nell cannot reconcile her feelings with Felim’s abusive behavior. Furthermore, Felim’s behavior challenges Nell’s belief in language by exposing every attempt to define their relationship as an attempt to reassert control in their dynamic.