DEATH IN THE WOODS Character List The Old Woman (Mrs.

Grimes) - An old, sickly woman who lived on a farm near the town. The old woman had a history of poor treatment. As a young orphan, she was legally bound to a German couple who abused her, and as an adult she lived in poverty on a small, remote farm with a husband and son who treated her just as poorly. The old woman bore her trials with a silent stoicism before dying in the woods in the company of a pack of dogs. Jake Grimes - The old womans husband. A rough, brutal man, Jake Grimes was a mean drunk who was distrusted and disliked in town. He was rumored to be a horse thief, but had never been caught. Like his wife, Jake Grimes spoke very little in the story, although his silence suggested menace rather than forbearance. The German and His Wife - A couple to whom the young Mrs. Grimes was bound as an indentured servant. On several occasions, the German attempted to sexually assault the young girl, but he was always foiled by the wifes return. The wife, in turn, suspected the girl of being involved with her husband and harassed her because of it. The Butcher - A man who took pity on the old woman on the day she died. The butcher gave her a liver and some dog bones for free. Angry at the husband and son who mistreated her so blatantly, he instructed her to not give them any of the meat. The Town Marshal - A large man with a Civil War injury who took charge of the death of the old woman.