Character Analysis
We can't help but feel sorry for Olive. Helena is always telling us how awkward she is, and the poor girl is just trying to survive the humdrum dating scene in the Hudson River Valley. But Helena won't cut her a break, and she and her sister think Olive will never catch a mate in America; sadly, Olive's parents agree.
The good news is that even though Olive gets a bad rap, she's actually pretty cool. Her parents and the mice don't see it at first, but when Olive gets on the ship she starts building a new life for herself. Sure first she has to push past that whole puking over the railing thing, but pretty soon Olive is off kissing her fiancé in secret. And she's starting to look pretty, too:
Olive smiled. Quite a pleasant smile. "You see, I haven't been sick since the lifeboat drill. I've just been seeing the doctor." (13.41)
Sounds like Olive is doing better than anyone realized. And she's got guts, too. She takes charge of her future and hatches some plans that make her happy.