The Optimist's Daughter The major characters in The Optimist’s Daughter are Judge McKelva, Becky Mckelva, Laurel Mckelva, Wanda Fay, Dr. Courtland, Miss Adele Courtland, Tish Bullock, Major Bullock, Miss Tennyson, and Miss Missouri. Becky Mckelva was Judge Mckelva’s wife before she died and had Laurel Mckelva with him. Wanda Fay remarried Judge Mckelva after his wife’s death. Dr. Courtland did surgery on Becky Mckelva and the final operation on Judge Mckelva. Miss …showed first 75 words of 1378 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1378 total…township at the time of the novel. 3.13 The McKelva house represented all of Laurel’s fears. She had to face all of her deepest horrors when she finally said good-bye to her father. In the house she discovered several items that contained emotional memories for her and she was forced to face them all. The house is a symbol of all of Laurel’s conflicts that she faced before and after her father’s death.