Characters
The four central characters are studies in contrast: the two friends Caroline Helstone and Shirley Keeldar, and their loves, the brothers Robert and Louis Gérard Moore.
- Robert Gérard Moore - An industrialist whose textile mill is idle because of the war. Perceived as an outsider because he comes from Antwerp, even though he is a cousin of Caroline. During the novel, Robert Moore installs new labor-saving machinery in his mill and becomes the target of Luddite attacks.
- Louis Gérard Moore - Robert's brother, working as a tutor for Shirley's uncle.
- Caroline Helstone - A timid and uncertain, but also wise and capable young woman, the niece of Reverend Helstone and best friend of Shirley.
- Shirley Keeldar - An orphaned heiress to a fortune. A headstrong, independent and determined young woman.
Other characters in the novel include:
- Rev Matthewston Helstone - Caroline's uncle. A fierce man, who is not cruel, but still shows little affection for his niece. Marriage has made him distrustful of women in general.
- Hortense Gérard Moore - Robert and Louis's sister.
- Hiram Yorke - A local landowner.
- Joe Scott - Robert Moore's foreman at the mill.
- Mrs. Pryor - Shirley's timid but wise governess, who moves to Fieldhead together with Shirley. She eventually turns out to be Caroline's long-lost mother.
- The three Curates of the three parishes - The brutish Irishman Peter Malone, the Cockney Joseph Donne, and the amiable Davy Sweeting.
Read more about this topic: Shirley (novel)
Famous quotes containing the word characters:
“There are as many characters in men
As there are shapes in nature.”
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)
“We are like travellers using the cinders of a volcano to roast their eggs. Whilst we see that it always stands ready to clothe what we would say, we cannot avoid the question whether the characters are not significant of themselves.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“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)