Janey Archer

Janey is Newland's unmarried sister. She lives with her mother and Newland. She and her mother grow ferns, do needlework, and seek out the latest gossip.

Mrs. Archer

Mrs. Archer is Newland's widowed mother. She and her daughter share a room upstairs so Newland can enjoy having more space to himself downstairs. Mrs. Archer follows social rules and manners to the letter, and tries to protect her grown daughter from certain topics because she is unmarried.

Newland Archer

The main character of the novel, Newland Archer is a young man who has grown up in New York society. He lives with his widowed mother and his unmarried sister, and is engaged to May Welland. Seeing her as an innocent, he imagines that he will educate her and show her the ways of the world. Because he reads a variety of books, he fancies himself erudite and well-educated...