▁to ▁recon cile ▁herself ▁with ▁her ▁je alous y ▁of ▁her ▁sister , ▁and ▁Z ara ' s ▁re dem ption ▁from ▁her ▁dis en chant ment ▁with ▁the ▁world ▁caused ▁by ▁her ▁sexual ▁sub j ug ation . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁The ▁plot ▁of ▁Pur ge ▁focus es ▁on ▁two ▁main ▁female ▁characters , ▁on ▁both ▁of ▁whom ▁review ers ▁have ▁commented ▁as ▁being ▁complex ▁and ▁integral ▁to ▁the ▁understanding ▁of ▁the ▁them es ▁of ▁the ▁book . ▁The ▁novel ▁begins ▁with ▁Ali ide ▁Tru u , ▁an ▁elder ly ▁woman ▁who ▁has ▁surv ived ▁many ▁horror s ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁occupation ▁of ▁Est onia . ▁The ▁Ali ide ▁whom ▁the ▁reader ▁first ▁meets ▁has ▁al ien ated ▁herself ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁people , ▁and ▁is ▁strongly ▁self - re li ant . ▁Though ▁clo aked ▁in ▁a ▁rough ▁exterior , ▁she ▁represents ▁a ▁woman ▁who ▁has ▁weather ed ▁considerable ▁hard ship . ▁She ▁has ▁hardly ▁anything ▁in ▁the ▁way ▁of ▁mother ly ▁instinct , ▁especially ▁in ▁regard ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁main ▁character , ▁Z ara . ▁ ▁Z ara ▁is ▁the ▁grand nie ce ▁of ▁Ali ide , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁she ▁is ▁subject ed ▁to ▁sex ▁tra ff ick ing ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁ma f ia . ▁Her ▁interaction ▁with ▁her ▁great - a unt ▁eventually ▁forces ▁Ali ide ▁to ▁re construct ▁and ▁confront ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁her ▁past . ▁Ult imately , ▁Ali ide ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁deliver ing ▁Z ara ▁from ▁the ▁tor ments