The novel is set in the Salinas Valley of northern California and a farm in Connecticut. The time spans the years before and after the turn of the nineteenth century, ending after the start of World War I.
John Steinbeck
The first person narrator and grandson to Samuel Hamilton in
the novel.
Samuel Hamilton
A native of Ireland. He is the first generation to arrive in
the Salinas Valley from the home country. He makes his living as a blacksmith,
well digger, and informal doctor.
Cyrus Trask
A man who created a brilliant military career out of his imagination
and managed to become a high official in the military establishment. He
loved his son Adam but not his son Charles.
Charles Trask
The son of Cyrus Trask. He dearly loves his father, who does
not return the love. Although he loves his brother Adam, he also has an
intense jealousy of him.
Adam Trask
The well loved son of Cyrus Trask, who does not return his father's
love. He is sent to join the army against his will. He marries Cathy Ames
and moves to the Salinas Valley to start a farm. He raises twin sons by
himself after Cathy shoots him and deserts him.
Cathy Ames/ Catherine Trask/ Kate
A woman without morals whom the narrator calls a monster. She
kills her parents and steals their money, making it seem like an outside
murder and a robbery. She shoots Adam to escape him after she has just
had twins. She becomes a prostitute in Salinas and eventually becomes
a madam after murdering her predecessor.
Lee
A Chinese-American servant of the Trasks in California. He devotes
himself to making a home for Adam and raising the twins. He is the philosopher
of the novel.
Aaron "Aron" Trask
One of the twins of Adam and Cathy Trask. Open and innocent by
nature, he is the good son, who is loved by everyone. With his light hair
and nice features, he is also quite handsome. He goes to war in order
to escape from Salinas after he finds out about his mother.
Caleb "Cal" Trask
The second twin of Adam and Cathy Trask. A contrast to his brother,
he is dark-haired and secretive. He distrusts all the people in his life
and manipulates their emotions to get his own way. Before the end of the
novel, he undergoes a transformation, chooses goodness, and becomes the
repository of hope for the future.
Liza Hamilton
The wife of Samuel. She is humorless and morally strict - an
opposite of her husband.
Alice Trask
The wife of Cyrus Trask and mother of Charles Trask. She lives
quietly, content to serve others.
Will Hamilton
The oldest Hamilton son. He moves to the city and becomes a successful
businessman. He helps Cal get started in business.
George Hamilton
Another Hamilton son. He moves to the city and becomes a businessman
in the insurance field.
Tom Hamilton
Another Hamilton son. He stays on the farm and reads books devotedly.
He commits suicide after blaming himself for the death of his sister,
Dessie.
Joe Hamilton
Another Hamilton son who attends Stanford College.
Dessie Hamilton
The favorite Hamilton daughter. She becomes a popular dressmaker
in Salinas. After a failed romance she moves to the home place with Tom,
but soon dies of a stomach ailment. Tom blames himself for her death.
Olive "Ollie" Hamilton
The narrator's mother. Her husband's name is Ernest Steinbeck.
Mr. Edwards
A "whore-master" who runs a successful business setting
up prostitutes in small town hotels and then rotating them over a two-week
period between towns. He has an affair with Catherine Ames, then beats
her and leaves her to die. He dies in old age choking on a chicken bone.
Mrs. Edwards
The wife of Mr. Edwards. Devoted to her religion, she remains
willfully ignorant of the nature of her husband's business.
Louis Lippo
A farmer in Salinas Valley who introduces Adam Trask to Samuel
Hamilton.
Horace Quinn
The deputy sheriff who investigates the shooting at the Trask
ranch. Years later, he brings Kate's will to Adam and burns the photographs
she had planned to use to ruin the reputations of the state's leading
male citizens.
Julius Euskadi
A neighboring rancher, who attends the first meeting between
the deputy sheriff and Adam Trask after the shooting.
Faye
A madam of a house of prostitution in Salinas. When Kate goes
to work for her, Fate adopts her as a daughter. Kate kills her with several
poisons.
Dr. Wilde
A doctor whose age and confusion Kate uses in her scheme to kill
Faye.
Ethel
A prostitute who worked for Faye and then Kate, after Faye's death.
Years later, she tries to extort money from Kate out of her knowledge
of Kate's murder of Faye.
Mary
The narrator's younger sister.
Abra Bacon
The girlfriend of Aaron throughout their school years together
in Salinas. Years later, when she realizes Aaron cannot grow up, she falls
in love with Cal.
Mr. Rolfe
The minister of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Salinas, who
serves as Aaron's mentor. He is attracted to high church doctrines and
inspires in Aaron a desire for purity.
Joe Valery
A man who works for Kate in her house of prostitution. An escaped
convict, he tries to trick Kate about her fear of Ethel. She learns of
his betrayal and turns him in to the sheriff.
Joe Fenchel
A German-American who is persecuted during the war by the citizens
of Salinas because of his accent and his foreign manner. The narrator
remembers with shame how he and his sister participated in this persecution.
Alf Nichelson
A handyman in Salinas who knows all the gossip and tells Joe
Valery the rumors about Kate killing Faye.
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