Bessie Berger

Bessie Berger, a Jewish American matriarch, is the linchpin of her family, striving to maintain cohesion amidst the harsh realities of the Great Depression. Her priority is the facade of respectability, fearing eviction and the humiliation of being cast into the streets, much like an elderly neighbor. Bessie is unyielding and self-righteous, lacking introspection and driven by a single-minded focus on family preservation, even at the cost of genuine familial understanding. Her domineering nature overshadows her husband, Myron, and dictates the lives of her children, Ralph and Hennie, who are ensnared in her web of control and traditional values.

Myron Berger

Myron Berger, Bessie’s husband, is a man subdued and governed by the stronger will of his wife. Once a law student, his aspirations were never realized, leaving him to seek solace in the fleeting hope offered by the Irish Sweepstakes and small wagers on horses. Despite his broken spirit, Myron clings to the naïve belief that such gambles are fair, and they represent his only tangible dreams of escaping the financial chains of the Depression. His passive nature reflects a resignation to his circumstances, unable to assert any significant influence over his family’s direction.

Ralph Berger

Ralph Berger, the idealistic son of Myron and Bessie, contributes his meager earnings of sixteen dollars a week to support the family. His dreams are stifled by his financial obligations, rendering his relationship with his girlfriend Blanche tenuous, as marriage remains an unattainable luxury. Ralph resents Bessie’s obsession with outward respectability, which only deepens his sense of entrapment. His childhood was marred by deprivation, denying him simple pleasures like repaired teeth or roller skates. Now, despite working, Ralph's life is a continuous economic struggle, unable to carve out an independent existence.

Hennie Berger

Hennie Berger, the independent-minded daughter of the family, finds herself increasingly constrained by the economic pressures that define her world. Her fleeting independence is curtailed further when Moe Axelrod, a family boarder, impregnates her. Bessie orchestrates a marriage to the unsuspecting Sam Feinschreiber to salvage the family’s reputation. Torn between duty and desire, Hennie ultimately forsakes the imposed marriage to pursue an uncertain future with Moe, an act of rebellion that reflects both her desperation and her yearning for self-determination.

Jacob

Jacob, Bessie’s father and Ralph’s philosophical ally, resides with the Berger family. A staunch idealist, Jacob frequently quotes Karl Marx, lamenting the existence of families ensnared by systemic economic inequality. His progressive ideals clash with Bessie’s pragmatism, leading to familial tension. In a tragic culmination of despair and altruism, Jacob takes his own life, leaving behind a life insurance policy to provide Ralph a chance at a new beginning, symbolizing his enduring hope for the next generation.

Uncle Morty

Uncle Morty, the affluent brother of Bessie and son of Jacob, epitomizes capitalist success mingled with moral compromise. His regular visits to have his father cut his hair underscore his familial ties, yet he embodies the archetype of a businessman stripped of personal integrity. Morty’s wealth is juxtaposed with his lack of sensitivity, as his cigar-smoking, womanizing ways paint him as a product of the very system that exploits families like the Bergers. He dismisses Jacob’s ideals, branding him a "nut," reflecting his alienation from his roots.

Moe Axelrod

Moe Axelrod, the charismatic yet insensitive boarder of the Bergers, is a war veteran who subsists on a disability pension after losing a leg. His presence in the Berger household is disruptive; he seduces Hennie, fathering her child but refusing to marry her, thus unraveling the respectable facade Bessie desperately tries to maintain. Moe’s manipulation leads Hennie to abandon...