Characters
Ethel Chauvenet
Mrs. Chauvenet is a long-time acquaintance of the family and a prominent figure in the town’s social scene. Veta is eager for Myrtle to be accepted into this circle, so they both go out of their way to charm and win Mrs. Chauvenet's approval. She is thrilled to see Elwood after a long time, but her excitement quickly fades when he introduces her to Harvey. Suspecting Elwood's sanity, she quickly apologizes and departs.
Betty Chumley
Dr. Chumley’s wife appears briefly in Act I, Scene II. Similar to Veta, she prioritizes social engagements over medical concerns. When informed that her husband needs to examine a patient, she says, "Give a little quick diagnosis, Willie—we don’t want to be late to the party." She later chats with Elwood while he searches for Harvey. When the sanitarium staff mistakenly believes that Veta is the one who believes in Harvey, Betty mentions Elwood’s friend Harvey, making them realize their error.
Dr. William B. Chumley
Dr. Chumley is a renowned psychiatrist and the head of "Chumley’s Rest," the sanitarium where Veta has Elwood committed. He is a demanding and exacting figure, feared by his staff and intolerant of errors. However, after spending a night drinking with Elwood, Dr. Chumley begins to see Harvey. He then discusses Harvey’s abilities with Elwood, learning that Harvey can stop time, allowing one to escape their ordinary life temporarily. Dr. Chumley reveals a long-held fantasy of escaping to a campground near Akron, Ohio, where he would live with a beautiful woman who would drink beer with him, listen to his deepest secrets, and comfort him by saying, "Poor thing! Oh, you poor, poor thing!"
Elwood P. Dowd
Elwood P. Dowd is the play’s main character, a kind-hearted eccentric who spends his time in the town’s taverns. His closest companion is Harvey, an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit. The play leaves it ambiguous whether Harvey is a product of Elwood’s imagination, as the psychiatrists believe, or a supernatural entity known as a pooka, as Elwood claims. The play hints at, but does not fully explain, the events in Elwood’s past that led to his relationship with Harvey. It is known that Elwood cared for his mother until her death and inherited all her property, suggesting the family is wealthy and Elwood has never needed to work.
Elwood is a charmer, always amiable when engaging with others, even those who, like Wilson, speak to him brusquely. He carries a stack of calling cards in his pocket and hands one out to every new person he encounters. He frequently invites strangers to dinner at his home, including a woman selling magazine subscriptions and a cab driver who brings Elwood’s sister, Veta, to the sanitarium. He is chivalrous toward Nurse Kelly, often picking flowers for her and complimenting her beauty.
There are subtle indications that Elwood has faced disappointment in his life, and that Harvey might be a result of this. His dissatisfaction with his past is evident when he tells Nurse Kelly, “For you I would do anything. I would almost be willing to live my life over again. Almost.” Discussing the choice between being intelligent or pleasant, he tells Dr. Chumley, “For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant,” suggesting a departure from his past. The most significant insight into his self-perception comes in Act II Scene II, where he describes the “golden moments” he shares with strangers in taverns. They tell him about their grand plans and accomplishments, and he believes they are impressed with Harvey, who is “bigger and grander than anything they offer me.” Harvey provides Elwood with hope...
(This entire section contains 1557 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
as he reflects on the opportunities he has missed while spending his life drinking.
Judge Omar Gaffney
Judge Gaffney is a longtime family friend of the Dowds, representing the townspeople who are used to seeing Elwood converse with Harvey and don’t find it unusual. As the family’s lawyer, he is responsible for arranging the commitment papers when Veta wants to institutionalize Elwood and for filing the case when Veta wishes to sue Chumley’s Rest for wrongfully committing her.
Miss Johnson
Miss Johnson is listed in the Cast of Characters as “a cateress,” but her dialogue in the play is tagged “Maid.” She appears briefly in the first act: when Veta asks if she has seen the guest list, she responds, “No, I haven’t Mrs. Simmons,” and exits promptly.
Ruth Kelly
Nurse Kelly is portrayed as a compassionate and attractive young woman who seems to have a complicated relationship with Dr. Sanderson. She describes him to Veta by saying, "He’s really wonderful"—(Catches herself.) "to the patients." When they mistakenly commit the wrong person, Kelly apologizes and offers to take responsibility. However, Sanderson responds with sarcasm: "Beautiful—and dumb, too. It’s almost too good to be true." When trying to prevent Elwood from leaving, Sanderson suggests she use her charm, telling her to "go into your old routine—you know—the eyes—the swish—the works." She feels both flattered and insulted. Among the staff at the sanitarium, Elwood is particularly responsive to Nurse Kelly—he holds her hand (after asking for permission) and recites love poetry to her. Although the play doesn't provide a clear resolution to her flirtation with Sanderson, it hints that Elwood's attention will boost her confidence in the future.
E. J. Lofgren
At the play's conclusion, it is the cab driver, Lofgren, who makes Veta realize that the treatment intended to stop Elwood from seeing Harvey might strip away his kind personality. He explains that everyone he drives to Chumley’s Rest for treatment is cheerful and kind on the way there, but after the treatment, they return angry, mean, and unpleasant. "Lady," he tells her, "after this, he’ll be a perfectly normal human being and you know what bastards they are!"
Dr. Lyman Sanderson
Dr. Sanderson, although young for a psychiatrist, is highly qualified—Dr. Chumley selected him from twelve potential assistants. He is just as enamored with Nurse Kelly as she is with him, but he shows his feelings indirectly. When she suggests that he tell Dr. Chumley the mistake of locking up Elwood was her fault, he replies, "I never mention your name," but then adds quietly after moving away, "except in my sleep." At the beginning of Act II, Scene II, they have their most direct confrontation, discussing their separate dates from the previous weekend, yet Dr. Sanderson insists that his interest in Nurse Kelly is strictly professional.
Myrtle Mae Simmons
Myrtle is a young woman and the daughter of Veta. She and her mother are deeply concerned about their social standing, primarily because they want Myrtle to find a suitable husband. They worry that potential suitors will be scared off when they discover Elwood has an imaginary friend. Myrtle is less forgiving of Elwood's peculiar behavior than Veta, even wishing he might get hit by a truck and planning to sell the house once he is committed to the sanitarium. Ironically, Myrtle meets a man who is drawn to her because of Elwood's situation; she and Wilson, the hospital orderly, fall in love by the play's end. Myrtle has some awareness of Harvey's supernatural presence, as she is the one who explains that whatever Elwood says Harvey predicts actually happens. However, Myrtle is too preoccupied with her own future to find this particularly strange.
Veta Louise Simmons
Elwood's sister, Veta, plays a crucial role in the play as she bridges the gap between logic and imagination. Her embarrassment over Elwood and her fear that his eccentricities will prevent Myrtle from finding a suitable husband drive her to have him committed to Chumley's sanitarium. Veta hosts social events covered by the local newspaper and dreads the thought of her social status being ridiculed or scandalized. Elwood's behavior embarrasses her greatly. Despite this, Veta is a comic character and is just as unstable in her own way as her brother. She even admits at one point that she has seen Harvey on several occasions, suggesting she shares a similar mindset with Elwood. When trying to explain Elwood's condition to Dr. Sanderson, she describes Harvey in such a confusing manner that the doctor believes she is the one imagining him, leading Wilson to capture and lock her up. Veta seeks the help of an old family friend, Judge Gaffney, to sue the sanitarium, but her threat is eventually forgotten. In the end, she empathizes with her brother after a cab driver explains that the sanitarium's treatment will stop Elwood's eccentricity but make him mean and dull. She interrupts the treatment to prevent this change.
Wilson
Wilson serves as the enforcer at Chumley’s Rest, a dedicated orderly tasked with managing uncooperative patients. When Dr. Sanderson mistakenly believes Veta needs to be committed, Wilson apprehends her, carries her upstairs, and undresses her to place her in the “hydrotub” for treatment. He is crude and vulgar, yet fiercely loyal to Dr. Chumley, becoming almost frantic with worry when he suspects Elwood might have harmed the doctor. When Wilson visits the Dowd household in search of Elwood, he flirts with Myrtle, who appears to be interested in him. However, in the final scene, it is Veta, Myrtle's mother, who rejects Wilson's invitation to go out.
