It appears to me that her mother is a rather selfish person. She doesnt care what the girl thinks about her relationships with other men. Also, London is associated with fog and lack of sunshine and shadow like the girl's life is full of hopelessness. The setting of London contrasts with Israel. While young girl struggles with family conflicts in London, she finds her happiness in Israel.
The story is first person narrative and objective because the story is based on the girl's point of view. She is the main character because she changes throughout the story and the story is told from her emotions. The other main characters are the girl's mother and father. Seeing the girl's mother and father's actions from the girl's point of view can understand their feelings inside. Dr. Derek Duncalf and Dr. Ovita are the minor characters in this story because the girl doesnt provide much information about their feelings. However, I feel Dr. Ovita takes a very special role; he puts an action forward and gives the main character a solution.
The girl's father only visits for "a drink," not for seeing them. He obviously wants to care for his family, but he ignores them. He lives not even one block away from his wife and daughter, he still visits them like he is living with them, and he gets very upset when he sees his wife sleep with another man. I guess the father does not have any communication with his family when he is with them because the girl implies she has emotional problems, as she gets "heavier for every week her father deserts them." The mother finds reason to hit her daughter after his visit. All these hints suggest the father does not talk to his family about his pain and his past. I feel he actually needs more help than anyone else in the story because he is totally in the painful past. .
A drink is a symbol in the story. A drink symbolizes an excuse for the father to see his family without caring for them.