Characters

09/29/2015

Esther Mills (35 African-American)

From North Carolina
Born 5 years after slavery was abolished
Lost both parents as a teenager
Emigrated to NYC at 17 and alone
A skilled seamstress who makes lingerie
Keeps 1,800 dollars in a quilt (48,690 today)
Hard working
Self conscious about appearances
Despite making lingerie she is quite nave in the world of relations
and intimacy
Fears going outside of the norm
George Armstrong (30s Barbadian Immigrant)
Schemer
Ambitious
Hard-Working
From the Barbados
Semi-literate
As a laborer he endured illness, racism, and segregation
Mayme (30s Barbadian Immigrant)
Beautiful, Classically trained pianist
A prostitute in the Red Light District

Despite her being Georges mistress, she is cares greatly for Esther
o Like a big sister to Ester

Evangeline Van Buren (30s White woman)

Barren
Socialite
Has [confusing?] feelings for Esther
Husband is having an affair
Similar to Esther, in that she is self conscious and fears going
outside of the social norm
Mr. Marks (30s Romanian Orthodox Jewish Immigrant)
Clearly as feelings form Esther
Sells very fine fabrics
Sells from inside of his apartment
In an arranged marriage with a woman he has never met
Wears all black out of faith
Mrs.

Dickson ( 50s African- American)

Has more money than the average black woman
Inherited after her husband passed
Chose to marry for money over love
Had a mother who was a laborer
Treats Esther like she is her own child