Before Esmé leaves, Sergeant X said that he had enjoyed her company very much. Esmé thought he would, for "[she is] quite communicative for [her] age-(101). By saying this, Esmé is showing that she is a direct person. She says what she believes very honestly. She states everything simply and directly so that she her point can be easily understood. Later in the story, when Sergeant X has been exposed to the war and has changed greatly, he finds Esmé's letter that he has yet to read. In the letter, Esmé tells Sergeant X about how her Aunt had streptococcus and almost died. Because of this she had been "justifiably saddled with one responsibility after another-(113). Both of Esmé's parents are dead, leaving her aunt to be the guardian of both her, and her brother, Charles. With her Aunt in the hospital, a lot of responsibility is put on Esmé. She has to care for Charles, and also look after her aunt. By handling the situation, Esmé proves to Sergeant X that she is mature for her age. Throughout the story, Esmé shows through her actions and speech that she is a mature, confident young girl.
While Esmé is confident and mature, she also shows that she is very responsible and that she has a high level of intelligence. After Esmé and Sergeant X meet, Esmé inquires about the soldier's personal life, asking if he has a wife. When Sergeant replies that he is married, Esmé asks "Are you deeply in love with your wife? Or am I being to personal?-(95). Esmé is curious about Sergeant X's relationship with his wife. It seems as though she is always interested in learning more about a topic, such as Sergeant X's relationship. However, she is intelligent and she realizes that her question could make some people feel uneasy or uncomfortable. She's quick to state that she is not normally gregarious, and "she looked over at [Sergeant X] to see if [he] knew the meaning of the word-(95).