Characters
Lavinia Mannon
Lavinia Mannon, daughter of Christine and Ezra Mannon, is portrayed as tall, angular, and imperious. Despite her flat-chested physique, she holds a commanding presence. Deeply attached to her father, she harbors a fierce jealousy towards her mother, Christine. During Ezra's absence in the Civil War, Christine embarks on an affair with Captain Adam Brant. Unwittingly desiring Adam for herself, Lavinia threatens Christine with the prospect of scandal unless she relinquishes Adam, potentially tarnishing the family name. After Ezra's return, Christine conspires to poison him. Upon his murder, Lavinia uncovers her mother’s culpability.
With her brother Orin's return from war, physically wounded and emotionally distraught, Lavinia seeks his help to avenge Ezra's death. Initially reluctant, Orin is swayed by Lavinia's proof of Christine's guilt into blaming Adam. Orin confronts Adam on his ship and kills him. Upon learning of Adam's death, Christine commits suicide. Lavinia and Orin close the Mannon house and travel to the South Seas, symbolically freeing Lavinia from New England's Puritan constraints, allowing her to transform into her mother's likeness. She plans marriage and a fresh start, but Orin is tormented by guilt and descends into madness, threatening to expose the Mannons' secrets, binding Lavinia with a promise of eternal companionship. Ultimately, she drives him to suicide.
Convinced of a hereditary evil within the Mannon bloodline, Lavinia resolves to atone for their sins, choosing self-imposed isolation within the family home.
Christine Mannon
Christine Mannon, Lavinia’s mother, is described as tall, beautiful, and sensual. Discontented with her husband, Ezra, she engages in an affair with Captain Adam Brant while Ezra serves in the Civil War. When Ezra returns, Christine, hoping to incite a fatal heart attack, makes love to him. He complies with her expectations, but she ensures his death by poisoning under the guise of medicine. Christine, fearing arrest or execution for murder, plans to flee with Brant to a distant paradise. However, upon Orin revealing Adam's murder, she takes her own life in despair.
Her affair with Adam stems from a deep-seated hatred towards Ezra and a complex, almost inappropriate affection for Orin. Her tragic end is precipitated by her inability to escape the web of deceit and betrayal she has woven.
Orin Mannon
Orin Mannon, Lavinia’s brother, returns from the war as a spiritually broken young man. Initially an idealist, he is crushed by the horrors of conflict and the realization of his family’s sins. As he spirals further into guilt and madness, Orin becomes obsessed with Lavinia, seeing her as a replacement for their mother, Christine. Determined to ensure Lavinia is forever haunted by their actions, he documents the Mannon family’s dark history to force her into a promise of eternal companionship. His mental deterioration culminates in suicide, driven by Lavinia’s manipulations and his own tortured conscience.
General Ezra Mannon
General Ezra Mannon, a tall, authoritative aristocrat, is Christine's husband and Lavinia and Orin’s father. Despite his cold, proud, and often unwittingly cruel demeanor, he favors Lavinia. Upon returning from the war, Ezra attempts to rekindle his marriage to Christine, only to face her infidelity. His discovery of her betrayal triggers a heart attack, during which Christine ensures his death by administering poison in place of medication.
Captain Adam Brant
Captain Adam Brant, a clipper ship captain and Christine's lover, is driven by a desire for vengeance against the Mannon family. The son of Ezra Mannon’s uncle and a servant girl, Marie Brantome, Adam seeks retribution for his mother's death from poverty and neglect. Initially motivated by revenge, he genuinely falls in love with Christine. His involvement with the Mannons results in his...
(This entire section contains 1156 words.)
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murder by Orin, manipulated by Lavinia.
Captain Peter Niles
Captain Peter Niles, a U.S. Artillery officer, is Lavinia's intended partner. Despite his love and intentions to marry her, Peter becomes increasingly troubled by Lavinia’s resistance to hand over Orin’s confession and her complex personality. His naivety is shattered when she mistakenly calls out her mother's lover's name, Adam Brant, during a moment of passion. Disillusioned, Peter ends their engagement and departs, unable to reconcile Lavinia’s dark nature with his idealized perception of her.
Hazel Niles
Hazel Niles, Peter’s sister and Orin’s fiancée, is devoted to helping Orin achieve a semblance of normalcy. Perceptive and less naive than her brother, Hazel recognizes the sinister influence that surrounds the Mannon family. Her attempts to extricate Orin from Lavinia’s clutches fail, and she ultimately demands Lavinia not marry Peter, fearing further ruin.
Seth Beckwith
Seth Beckwith, the devoted gardener of the Mannon household, is an elderly yet robust seventy-five-year-old. Serving as a commentator and chorus throughout the narrative, Seth provides insight into the unfolding drama within the Mannon family.
Amos Ames
Amos Ames, a middle-aged carpenter, along with his wife Louisa, forms part of the chorus in Homecoming and The Haunted. As members of the townsfolk, their perspectives contribute to the collective narrative.
Louisa Ames
Louisa Ames, Amos’s wife, enjoys indulging in vicious gossip. She appears as part of the chorus in Homecoming, providing the audience with insights into the social dynamics of the town.
Minnie
Minnie is Louisa's cousin and another member of the townsfolk chorus in Homecoming. Known for her tendency to gossip, she adds to the portrayal of small-town life and its preoccupations.
Josiah Borden
Josiah Borden, managing the Mannon family’s shipping enterprise, along with his wife Emma, belongs to the chorus in The Hunted. Their presence reveals critical background information about Christine and the Mannon family.
Emma Borden
Emma Borden, Josiah’s wife, participates in the communal storytelling as part of the chorus in The Hunted, enhancing the narrative's depth.
Everett Hills, D.D.
Everett Hills, the Congregational minister, along with his wife, serves as part of the chorus in The Hunted. They provide a religious perspective to the unfolding events.
The Chantyman
The Chantyman, a drunken sailor, engages Adam Brant in a suspenseful dialogue while awaiting Christine’s arrival on his ship in The Hunted. His role, though minor, contributes to the tension surrounding Brant's plans.
Joe Silva
Joe Silva, a Portuguese fishing captain, is part of the chorus in The Haunted. Alongside others, he bets that Abner Small cannot withstand a night in the allegedly haunted Mannon house.
Ira Mackel
Ira Mackel, a cane-wielding, whiskered farmer, is among the chorus members in The Haunted. Skeptical of the Mannon house’s ghostly reputation, he wagers with Abner Small on the outcome of his overnight stay.
Abner Small
Abner Small, the hardware store clerk, dares to spend the night in the haunted Mannon house, only to flee in fear, refusing to honor the bet he loses. His actions add to the superstitious aura surrounding the Mannon estate.
Avahanni
Avahanni, a Polynesian native, becomes the subject of Lavinia’s flirtation. Lavinia’s deceitful claim to Orin that Avahanni was her lover significantly contributes to Orin’s subsequent suicide.
