The Magnolia Palace

Lillian, the protagonist of the1919 storyline, is 21 years old when the novel begins and has recently lost her mother, Kitty. Lillian poses for sculptors, sometimes nude; under the pseudonym “Angelica,” she becomes a sought-after model for sculptors across New York City. Because of her profession, Lillian faces the double standard of society, where people appreciate the art but stigmatize the models who made that art possible. Lillian’s story arc appears partly in her experience of her modeling work: When she begins the work, she is proud of it, and though she concludes her arc with that same pride, she spends most of the middle of the narrative hiding that career due to socially imposed shame and fear of retribution.

Davis characterizes Lillian as smart, ambitious, and resourceful by having her talk her way into a job as Helen’s private secretary and escaping the police twice. Lillian is a round character. Although she doubts her abilities, she has the confidence to persist in her goals. Likewise, though she is conditioned to feel shame about her position as a model, she considers herself to have been a critical part of the artistic process.