Characters
- Gordon Comstock – a 'well-educated and reasonably intelligent' young man possessed of a minor 'talent for writing'.
- Rosemary Waterlow – Comstock's girlfriend, whom he met at the advertising agency, but about whom little is revealed.
- Philip Ravelston – the wealthy left-wing publisher, editor of Antichrist, who supports and encourages Comstock.
- Julia Comstock – Gordon's sister who is as poor as he and who, having always made sacrifices for him, continues to do so. "A tall, ungainly girl her nature was simple and affectionate."
- Mrs. Wisbeach – lodging house landlady at Willowbed Road who imposes strict rules on her tenants.
- Mr. Flaxman – fellow lodger, a salesman, travelling representative of the Queen of Sheba Toilet Requisites Co., temporarily separated from his wife.
- Mr. McKechnie – the lazy Scot who owns the first bookshop, white-haired and white-bearded, a teetotaler and snuff taker.
- Mr. Cheeseman – sinister and suspicious owner of the second book shop.
- Mr. Erskine - a large, slow-moving man with a broad, healthy, expressionless face - managing director of the advertising agency, the New Albion Publicity Company - he promotes Gordon to a position as an advertising copy writer.
- The aspidistra - Herald of a middle class, settled lifestyle.
Read more about this topic: Keep The Aspidistra Flying
Famous quotes containing the word characters:
“It is open to question whether the highly individualized characters we find in Shakespeare are perhaps not detrimental to the dramatic effect. The human being disappears to the same degree as the individual emerges.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“The naturalistic literature of this country has reached such a state that no family of characters is considered true to life which does not include at least two hypochondriacs, one sadist, and one old man who spills food down the front of his vest.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)
“A criminal trial is like a Russian novel: it starts with exasperating slowness as the characters are introduced to a jury, then there are complications in the form of minor witnesses, the protagonist finally appears and contradictions arise to produce drama, and finally as both jury and spectators grow weary and confused the pace quickens, reaching its climax in passionate final argument.”
—Clifford Irving (b. 1930)