Leaving Home - Main Characters

Main Characters

• Jacob Mercer,the Newfoundlander who finally brought his family to settle in Ontario. Portrayed as a flawed but loving father, he is a compendium of patriarchal values, and is the only character in all of the Mercer family cycle (neither Mary nor Ben are in French's - Soldier's Heart- which while being most recently written is ironically the oldest in the family's chronology). Jacob is in his fifties but looks older. A man who is used to leading his family in a patriarchal fashion, he is devastated by the new way of life and the decisions of his sons to leave home. Secretly he longs for old friends and times when he was needed.
• Mary Mercer, at fifty, Mary is a devoted mother and wife who has her hands full with her three men. She is the mediator of the family and also the confidante of the boys.
• Bill Mercer, is seventeen. He would rather stay home than marry his girlfriend, Kathy, but he must because she is pregnant. He is a little more worldly than his brother Ben.
• Ben Mercer, At nineteen, Ben is the oldest son. He took the responsibility of looking after his family when his father had an accident. He is closest to Mary, but he is not a 'Mama's Boy'. His relationship with his father has always been strained.