Lucy Barton is the protagonist of Lucy by the Sea. She was born and raised in the small town of Amgash, Illinois before leaving for New York City. Her childhood was one of impoverishment and abuse, and Lucy has become a well-known writer due to her memoir about her childhood. When the novel opens, Lucy is living alone in New York City—her husband David, a cellist, died about a year earlier, and she is still grieving.

Lucy is primarily characterized by her need to understand, or at least to attempt to. Throughout the novel, she is thoughtful and empathetic; she is always willing to reconsider what she thinks she knows. Lucy isn’t afraid to ask about things she doesn’t understand, and when she receives the answer, she consistently replies: “I get it” (32). Her willingness to absorb a new, sometimes painful understanding and change her perspective is a defining characteristic.

Lucy is also unafraid to admit when she is wrong, and strives to see things from different perspectives. She struggles to understand the monumental events that are happening around her: the Covid pandemic, George Floyd’s horrific death, and the January 6 insurrection.