Content Warning: This section of the guide references sexual assault and rape.

The protagonist of the novel, Noemí starts out as a discontent socialite who is eager to prove to her father that she has what it takes to pursue an academic degree and not be a liability to her family. As a socialite, Noemí relies on her beauty, grace, and wit to get her way—all of which are soft power that women frequently rely on in patriarchal societies. At High Place, she faces high-stakes, life-threatening challenges that frequently make her feel like a fish out of water.

While at High Place, she loses the props of her identity as a socialite as well as her autonomy as the mushroom and the Doyles assert control over her mental and physical will. The turning point for Noemí comes when she is forced to use violence against Virgil and Florence to survive. Her transition from a young woman who wants her father’s approval to a person who rescues others and shapes the narrative underscores important feminist themes in the novel.