Characters

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Helen Jones

Helen is the protagonist of Machinal. At the play’s start, she is a secretary at an office. The play’s plot follows Helen through a series of significant life changes: a marriage, an affair, a murder, and a criminal indictment. Throughout the play, Helen is threatened from all sides by a number of troubling forces: the stresses of modern urban life, the psychological burden of being a woman in a male-dominated society, and feelings of isolation and abandonment. Helen remains admirably resilient in the face of these forces. Treadwell is effective in providing a context for Helen’s feelings of depression, desperation, and rage. Helen serves as a representation of all women in her society. Given the challenges all such women face, Helen’s turmoil is understandable and even warranted.

George H. Jones

George H. Jones is the vice president of the company Helen works for. Between the second and third episodes, George proposes to and marries Helen. George is depicted as insensitive, unattractive, and desperate. Helen agrees to marry him out of a desire for security but does not love him.

Richard Roe

Richard Roe is the man Helen takes as her lover. Roe tells of having recently escaped from imprisonment in Mexico through violent means. Roe is handsome and suave in his presentation. Helen is infatuated with him despite his rough-around-the-edges character. Though he offers Helen affection, Roe reveals himself to be yet another danger to her.

List of Characters

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Adding Clerk

The Adding Clerk is an unnamed male character who, in the first episode, highlights and enhances the office's noises with his audible number counting and the sound of his adding machine. Sound and noise play a crucial role in Treadwell’s play, creating the background and atmosphere.

Doctor

In episode four, Helen gives birth to her first child. The doctor enters the room, and the nurse explains that Helen does not want her baby and seems weak, as she gags when her husband appears. The doctor insists that Helen breastfeed, but she refuses and asks to be left alone. The doctor is perplexed and disturbed by her behavior.

Filing Clerk

The Filing Clerk is an unnamed, younger male character who, in the first episode, emphasizes and enhances the office's noises with his audible enunciation of letters as he files.

First Reporter

In episode eight, Helen stands trial in the courtroom for the murder of her husband, George H. Jones. The First Reporter is one of the many press members present in the crowded courtroom. As he takes notes, he reads them aloud. His comments are favorable toward Helen, noting her behavior, movements, character, and emotions. First Reporter’s positive remarks contrast sharply with Second Reporter’s negative commentary about Helen, showcasing the media's subjectivity.

Helen’s Mother

Helen’s mother serves as a guidebook for the society that Helen wishes to escape. She constantly reminds her daughter that it is crucial to marry before she gets too old and emphasizes the importance of marrying a man who can provide financial stability. The old woman explains that love will not pay the bills, clothe you, or put food on the table. She tells Helen that love is an illusion and that life is about tangible things like clothes, food, and a bed to sleep in. She pressures Helen to disregard love and marry George because he is financially stable, decent, and capable of taking care of both Helen and her mother. Helen’s mother represents the opposing voice to Helen’s feelings. Her persuasion is powerful and could be seen as the catalyst that drives Helen into marriage, motherhood, and, ultimately, murder.

George H....

(This entire section contains 1505 words.)

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Jones

George H. Jones owns the George H. Jones Company. His employees include the Adding Clerk, Filing Clerk, Stenographer, Telephone Girl, and Helen Jones. George is a corpulent, slovenly man, yet he poses no threat. His large, flabby hands are a source of disgust for Helen. George's devotion to his work is evident from his thriving business. Despite his professional success, George has never married. He takes a particular interest in Helen and proposes to her. Helen reluctantly agrees, largely due to her mother's urging. She becomes Mrs. Jones primarily for financial security. Helen harbors no affection for George and is, in fact, repulsed by him. George, however, is patient and, in his own way, affectionate toward Helen. He is not aggressive in his sexual advances and is keen to support both Helen and her mother. George aspires to provide them with a comfortable life, pledging to be faithful and compassionate, and he desires to start a family. In many respects, George has the makings of a good, loving husband. Shortly after their marriage, Helen gives birth to their first child. George is thrilled to become a father and is committed to supporting his family. He is a diligent provider, but Helen feels perpetually trapped by her husband, child, mother, and life. Ultimately, Helen murders George in an attempt to liberate herself from her perceived constraints. Ironically, she views murder as a kinder option than divorce, as she believes ending their marriage would cause George more pain. This belief is both tragic and irrational. Helen genuinely thinks divorce would hurt George more than taking his life.

Helen Jones

Helen Jones is often referred to as the “Young Woman” throughout the play. Initially, she works at the George H. Jones Company. Before long, she marries George and becomes the mother of a newborn child. Helen’s mother exerts significant control over her, pushing her to accept George's marriage proposal. Helen is a troubled woman, overwhelmed by societal expectations, and sees no escape from the confining social norms. She is quiet and introspective, seemingly fearful of a world filled with oppressive pressures. She resents feeling obligated to care for her mother, forsaking the possibility of love for the assurance of stability, and suppressing her sexual desires for a faithful but loveless marriage. Helen yearns for a progressive, modern feminist freedom she cannot find in her life. Throughout the play, Helen gives in to the societal pressures she despises—marriage, financial stability, motherhood, and passionless sex. She finds temporary relief in an affair with Dick Roe, which provides a glimpse of a life she thought was beyond her reach. However, when Roe leaves, Helen makes a desperate, ill-fated decision, murdering her husband to free herself and spare George the pain of divorce. Ultimately, Helen gains nothing and ends up in prison, facing trial and eventually being executed for her husband's murder.

Judge

In episode eight, Helen stands trial for the murder of her husband, George H. Jones. The Judge presides over the courtroom during her trial.

Lawyer for the Defense

In episode eight, Helen is on trial for murdering her husband, George H. Jones. The Lawyer for the Defense represents her against these charges.

Lawyer for the Prosecution

In episode eight, Helen faces trial for the murder of her husband, George H. Jones. The Lawyer for the Prosecution argues the case for first-degree murder.

Nurse

In episode four, Helen gives birth to her first child. The nurse is in her room, attempting to help Helen adjust to motherhood. Helen rejects her baby, gags when her husband enters, and is utterly repulsed by the world. The nurse, puzzled by Helen's behavior, calls the doctor for help.

Priest

In the final episode, just before Helen is taken to the electric chair, she has a conversation with the Priest. Helen mainly speaks to the Priest as he recites her last rites. She expresses many of her deep-seated emotions, particularly her distress over being forced into work, marriage, sex, and motherhood. The Priest remains calm and composed throughout. After the rites, Helen's head is shaved, and she is led to her execution.

Dick Roe

In episode five, Dick Roe is at a bar with Harry Smith. They are waiting for Telephone Girl and Helen Jones. Telephone Girl and Smith are involved in a long-term affair. Although Roe and Helen have never met, Telephone Girl and Smith hope to spark a relationship between them. Helen, who is married and has a child, feels trapped and lifeless. Roe, on the other hand, is an attractive and adventurous man with many stories. He recounts to Helen how he was once kidnapped in Mexico and escaped by killing his captors with a makeshift weapon made from a glass bottle filled with pebbles. Helen becomes infatuated with Roe and his adventurous lifestyle. After one encounter, she takes a lily in a bowl of small rocks from Roe’s apartment. This bowl and Roe’s story inspire Helen to plot her husband's murder. Roe later returns to Mexico and provides a written deposition, which becomes crucial evidence against Helen. He details how Helen took the lily and how he shared his escape story. Helen’s husband is killed in a manner similar to Roe’s captors, using rocks from the lily bowl as a weapon. Roe’s testimony ultimately leads to Helen's conviction for murder.

Second Reporter

In episode eight, Helen is on trial for the murder of her husband, George H. Jones. The Second Reporter is among the many journalists in the packed courtroom. As he takes notes, he reads them aloud, making negative remarks about Helen’s behavior, movements, character, and emotions. His commentary starkly contrasts with the First Reporter’s pro-Helen perspective, highlighting the media's subjectivity.

Harry Smith

In episode five, Harry Smith is seated at a bar with Dick Roe. Smith intends to introduce Roe to his mistress’s friend, Helen Jones. When Helen and the Telephone Girl—Smith’s mistress—arrive at the bar, the four exchange introductions and some brief conversation. After this, the Telephone Girl and Smith leave together, leaving Roe and Helen alone.

Stenographer

The Stenographer is an unnamed, dry female character who, in the first episode, highlights and enhances the office sounds by audibly reciting excerpts from dull business letters.

Telephone Girl

The Telephone Girl is an unnamed, flirtatious female character who, in the first episode, emphasizes and enhances the office sounds by repeating monotonous telephone greetings. She reappears in episode five, where she introduces Helen Jones to Dick Roe. Helen and the Telephone Girl arrive at the bar to meet Roe and his friend, Harry Smith. It becomes evident that the Telephone Girl is having an affair with Smith. Eventually, Smith and the Telephone Girl leave together, leaving Helen and Roe alone in the bar, which sparks an affair between Helen and Roe.

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