The Imps

Character Analysis

What, you may be asking yourself, is an imp? They're like the anti-fairy, which makes sense given where they come from. As Grandpa Sorenson explains it, an imp is: "A fallen fairy. Nasty little creatures. Imps despise themselves as much as fairies adore themselves. Just as fairies are drawn to beauty, imps are drawn to ugliness" (8.92). They tend to be "spiteful and jealous, wallowing on wretchedness" (8.94)—in other words, they make horrible dinner guests.