Jules
Sandoz, M. 47 Innovative,
intelligent, educated, yearning, cultured, grouchy, chip on shoulder, lazy,
community-minded, bitter about his injured foot (walks with limp), immigrant
from Switzerland (speaks with a slight French accent).
Mary
Sandoz, F. 35 Industrious,
uneducated, smart, sometimes misses the poetry and beauty in life,
conscientious mother, practical, competent, musical, loves her canary,
immigrant from Switzerland (uses German expressions and speaks with German
accent).
Marie
Sandoz, F. 13
Industrious, bossy, timid, yearning, bookish, creative, serious,
musical, secretive, responsible.
“Swede”,
M. 28
Uneducated, hard-working, married less than a year to wife, in awe of
Jules, loyal friend, extremely practical, immigrant from Sweden (speaks with
slight Swedish accent).
Solomon, M. 50 Narrator, scraggly-looking (almost a Don Quixote character), crafty, lonely, gregarious, sorrowful, humorous, wise, mysterious, knows all settlers and their needs, immigrant from Syria.
Sonya, F. 26 New bride of Swede, pregnant in first two scenes, ditzy, unprepared for wildness of prairie, intimidated by Mary’s competence, adoring of her husband, loyal to Mary, incompetent in kitchen, speaks with Swedish accent, immigrant from Sweden.
Henry
Freese, M. 45
Thin, soft-spoken, cattle rancher, pious, weasel-like, not
community-minded, enemy of Jules, immigrant from Austria.
John
Freese, M. 16 Son
of Jules’ enemy, energetic, spirited, earnest, uses poor grammar, works on
ranch instead of going to school.
Judge,
M. 55
Brusque, competent, practical, fairly tolerant.
.
Sheriff,
M. 40
Has political ambitions, not overly smart, treats people according to
how much money they have.
Fritzlie
Sandoz, M. 4
Adorable, cherubic, loves being baby of the family.
Little
Jule Sandoz, M. 10 Very
curious, gets into trouble inadvertently, disorganized, clashes with his
father.
James
Sandoz, M. 8 Dreamy,
absent-minded, very obedient, good-natured.
______Sandoz,
M 45 Brother
of Old Jules, humorous, good-natured, bit of a “blowhard”
6
Jurors, 2 F, 4 M
Neighbors and brother in later scenes.