Merit is the protagonist and narrator of Without Merit. Merit unknowingly has depression although she retrospectively acknowledges her symptoms in the novel’s falling action. Merit’s mental health challenges cause her to negatively value her self-worth, especially when she compares herself to her twin sister, Honor. Outwardly, Merit is sarcastic and irritable with the other characters. Sagan confesses to Merit: “To be fair, you come off kind of…brash” (163). Her harsh exterior is a defense mechanism to protect an already very fragile self-esteem.

Throughout the novel, Merit struggles with judgment and alienation. She judges her family harshly because her parents have kept the truth of their relationship and her mother’s mental illness from her. This leaves her preoccupied with how the others treat her rather than considering how she treats them. After her letter to her family and suicide attempt, Barnaby is forced to tell the children the truth, and Utah also explains why he forced Merit to kiss him. This helps Merit see her family’s dynamics in a new light; Barnaby trusting her enough to tell her the truth helps Merit feel like part of the family, rather than a neglected member of it.

The novel is Merit’s coming-of-age story, in which she must learn to accept herself and others without judgment.