Characters
Mrs. Atkins
Mrs. Atkins, Ruth’s widowed and incapacitated mother, never forgives her
daughter for choosing to marry Robert Mayo instead of Andy. She constantly
criticizes Robert’s poor management of both the Mayo farm and her own.
Additionally, she complains about Ruth and Robert’s sickly child, Mary, who
frequently cries out for her mother. A deeply religious woman, Mrs. Atkins
cruelly tells Kate Mayo that her husband died young because he was a sinner and
that Robert and Ruth’s ill-fated marriage was also God’s will. Although Mrs.
Atkins claims she is near death in the second act, she outlives many other
characters, surviving until the play’s end. By this time, she secretly gives
Ruth money behind Robert’s back to help cover the bills, as Robert struggles to
keep the farm afloat on his own.
Ruth Atkins
Ruth Atkins, daughter of Mrs. Atkins and wife of Robert Mayo, initially dates
Andy but falls in love with Robert after he shares his dream of a sea voyage.
She tells Robert she does not love Andy and persuades him to stay, leading Andy
to leave the Mayo farm and take Robert’s place on the voyage, unable to bear
seeing Ruth with his brother. Over time, Ruth’s happiness and capacity for love
diminish. Three years later, Ruth has aged significantly, and she and Robert
despise each other. Ruth confesses she loves Andy, and they agree that if not
for their frail child Mary, they would separate. When Andy returns for a visit,
Ruth tries to rekindle their old flame, but Andy reveals he no longer loves
her. Hurt, Ruth becomes rude to Andy, who believes she wants him gone.
Five years later, when Andy returns again, Mary has died, and Ruth is a shattered woman. Her life, much like the Mayo farm, is in decline, and she spends her days idly while Robert’s health rapidly worsens. She accepts money from her mother behind Robert’s back to help pay the bills. When Robert, in a feverish state, suggests they move to the city and start anew, Ruth is terrified. When Andy arrives with a medical specialist who confirms Robert is dying and blames Ruth, she is too worn out to argue. Robert’s dying wish is for Andy to marry Ruth, a suggestion Andy makes at the play’s conclusion. However, Ruth is too exhausted to care and does not show any indication of whether she will agree to this.
Ben
Ben is the farmhand who decides to quit working for Robert because he feels
embarrassed to be employed at such an impoverished farm.
Doctor Fawcett
Doctor Fawcett is the specialist that Andy brings in to examine Robert. Fawcett
informs Andy and Ruth that Robert is dying of tuberculosis and mentions that
Robert might have survived if he had moved to a better climate six months
earlier.
Andrew Mayo
Andrew Mayo, often called Andy by his family, is the son expected to inherit and manage the Mayo farm. He surprises everyone by leaving the farm to embark on a sea voyage with his uncle, Captain Scott. Initially, Andy is in love with Ruth Atkins and looks forward to running the farm. He is heartbroken when his brother, Robert, whom he deeply cares for, decides to cancel his sea voyage to marry Ruth and remain on the farm. Andy's choice to go to sea creates a lasting rift between him and his father, James, who dies while Andy is away. During his three years at sea, Captain Scott trains Andy to become a naval officer, a career Andy abandons after his first voyage. When he returns home for the...
(This entire section contains 1558 words.)
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first time, he makes it clear to both Robert and Ruth that he no longer loves Ruth, hoping to ease the tension between them. Instead, he ends up hurting Ruth, who was preparing to confess her feelings for him.
Before Andy's initial return home, everyone pins their hopes on him, interpreting his letters to mean he will stay to work on the farm and rectify the damage Robert has caused. However, Andy informs everyone that he plans to leave for Buenos Aires to make his fortune in the grain business and send money home to help them. When he returns five years later, he has become wealthy but lost most of his fortune through risky investments. Andy brings a medical specialist, who tells Andy and Ruth that Robert is dying. Initially, Andy is furious with Ruth for not contacting him sooner, but he soon realizes that Ruth and Robert were too poor, and Robert too proud, to reach out. Although Andy intends to return to Buenos Aires to rebuild his wealth, Robert's dying wish is for Andy to marry Ruth and take care of her. At the end of the play, Andy suggests to Ruth that this plan might work, but Ruth, worn out from her disastrous marriage to Robert, shows no indication of agreement.
Mr. James Mayo
James Mayo is the father of Andrew and Robert. He passes away while Andy is at
sea. Initially, Andy plans to work on his father's farm for his entire life,
and James's admiration and respect for his son's abilities are clear. However,
when Robert decides to stay home to marry Ruth, and Andy offers to take
Robert's place on the voyage, James accuses Andy of avoiding responsibility.
They have a heated argument, and Andy lies, claiming he hates the farm and
wants to explore the world. James is deeply hurt and disowns his son. Later,
some characters debate whether James ever forgave Andy for leaving, with most
believing he did not.
Mrs. Kate Mayo
Kate Mayo is the mother of Andrew and Robert. She also dies while Andy is at
sea. Kate realizes that Ruth does not love Andy and is thrilled when Robert
decides to stay and cancel his sea voyage. She attempts to mediate the conflict
between James and Andy, and after James's death, she is the only one who
believes her husband forgave Andy in his heart. Kate remains silent as Robert's
marriage and the farm face difficulties, trusting Robert to manage on his own,
though she agrees with Mrs. Atkins that Andy and Ruth would have been a better
match. When Andy returns home three years after going to sea, she, like
everyone else, thinks he is back for good and plans a big dinner for him. Her
death contributes to Robert's declining health.
Mary Mayo
Mary Mayo is the frail daughter of Robert and Ruth. She passes away between
Andy's first and second visits home. Her death is one of the factors
contributing to Robert's ongoing health decline.
Robert Mayo
Robert Mayo is Andrew's brother who cancels his sea voyage to remain on the
Mayo farm and marry Ruth Atkins. His decision prompts Andy to take Robert's
place on the voyage, as Andy also loves Ruth and cannot bear to see her with
someone else. Robert's marriage is doomed from the start, as he lacks Andy's
farming skills and struggles to manage the farm. His situation worsens after
their father's death. Robert spends much of his time daydreaming about the
voyage he never took, leading to a loss of farmhands and barely making enough
to cover expenses. Unbeknownst to him, Ruth accepts financial help from her
mother to pay the bills. When Andy returns from his first voyage, Robert, like
everyone else, hopes Andy will take over the farm again and is devastated to
learn Andy plans to leave once more.
Robert's marriage to Ruth falls apart while Andy is away at sea, with their daughter, Mary, being the sole reason they stay together. When both Robert's mother and Mary pass away, Robert's health swiftly deteriorates. He becomes bedridden. During a feverish moment, Robert is energized and suggests to Ruth that they should move to the city for a fresh start. Ruth sends a desperate message to Andy, who returns home with a medical specialist. The specialist diagnoses Robert with a terminal lung disease and states that if they had relocated to a better climate six months earlier, Robert might have survived. Andy is devastated by this news, while Ruth sees it as another misfortune in her life. Robert, however, is euphoric because he views his death as a chance to finally leave the farm and explore "beyond the horizon." His dying wish is for Andy to marry Ruth and take care of her.
Ruth Mayo
See Ruth Atkins
Captain Dick Scott
Captain Dick Scott is Kate Mayo's brother and the uncle of Robert and Andrew.
At the start of the play, Scott has arranged for Robert to join him on a sea
voyage. When Robert decides to stay on the farm and marry Ruth instead, Scott
is deeply disappointed because he wanted a companion to talk to and train
during the voyage. He is also worried that his crew will think the empty bunk
was reserved for a woman who stood him up, leading to mockery. Therefore, he is
thrilled when Andy volunteers to take Robert's place and assures Andy that he
will make a better seaman than his ailing brother. Scott trains Andy to become
an officer and informs him about a ship heading to Buenos Aires, where Andy
spends five years working to amass wealth in the grain trade.
