Main Character

The main character of the story Ties that Break, Ties that Bind by Lensey Namioka is Ailin Tao. The story of her life starts when she is four years old, at a time when girls must bind their feet. However, Ailin is hard-headed and stubborn, so she won't follow this ancient practice without a fight. She is also angry and shows internal bitterness as well as resentment to the fact that men could do so much more than girls in China. However, though she is spirited and mischievous, she is still kind and considerate of others. She is also very pretty and clever, and can also mimic sounds quite well. Overall, Ailin is a kind, but headstrong girl who refuses to considered lower than men.