Laurel MaKelva Hand the protagonist of the novel The Optimist Daughter, is a hard working widow in her forties and the only child of Judge McKelva. Throughout the novel, she is caught in-between funerals, reminiscing her old memories while she still lived in Mount Salus and connecting them throughout events happening. She was never really at peace in Mount Salus, but as she encounter with letters written by her parents amongst other things, and with her beloved friends and neighbors, things start connecting. Laurel’s friends and neighbors are who we see her narration being created by, which also creates the postmodernist view. Despite Judge McKelva isn’t considered to be a huge character, he’s important in the sense of being the connection