The Cider House Rules

Homer Wells is the main character in the novel. Although he is the novel’s protagonist, he is often passive, as secondary characters such as Melony and Dr. Wilbur Larch act upon him. His main characteristics are that he is unusually smart and self-contained, even as a child. Homer’s calmness and maturity paradoxically make him vulnerable and easy to manipulate, because he is able to see and respect many different viewpoints. He is a fast learner, as Ray Kendall notes, and an orphan, predisposed to fit in anywhere.

The novel is a coming-of-age novel, meaning that over its course the main character matures and finds their place in the world. For Homer Wells, this involves deciding when to be silent and obedient and when to speak up and rebel. He eventually speaks up about he and Candy’s secret affair, going against Candy’s wishes and running the risk of disrupting the only real family he has ever had. Yet he also ultimately leaves this family to return to the world of the orphanage and fulfill Dr. Larch’s plans for him. He remains close to Candy and his son Angel, but in a loose and nontraditional way; he has therefore come to terms with his unconventional orphaned background and with the reality that traditional family life is always going to be alien to him.