Character Analysis
Agnes and Mintouchian
Agnes and Mintouchian are friends with Stella and Augie. Mintouchian, a crack lawyer, tells Augie about some facts of Stella's past that she hasn't told Augie. He seems to be a cynic about true love, but he loves Agnes.
Anna and Hyman Coblin
Anna is Augie's mother's cousin, which makes her Augie's second cousin. Augie moves in with them while he's helping Hyman with his newspaper route. Their son, Howard, has run away, and Augie in a way takes his place, especially for Anna. A very religious woman, she gives Augie what she considers to be a proper religious education.
Basteshaw
Basteshaw is the carpenter on the ship on which Augie ships out to war. He's the only other survivor when their ship is attacked and sinks. Bateshaw calls himself a "psycho-biophysicist" and claims to have been canned by six universities for his strange scientific experiments and ideas. A real charmer.
Charlotte and Lucy Magnus
Watch out Paris, there's a new heiress in town. Charlotte is a member of the wealthy Magnus family and marries none other than Simon March. She knows he's married her more for money than for love, but she accepts the arrangement. Lucy is her sister. Augie is set to marry her until his involvement with a friend's abortion puts an end to the engagement. The Magnus family values hard work, dedication, and determination—qualities Simon has and Augie lacks.
Clem Tambow
Jimmy Klein's cousin. He wants to be an actor, but he looks down on himself, particularly his looks. He inherits money and enrolls in college, but he's really just there to meet women. To them, he tries to present himself as an experienced lover. What a skeezwad.
Five Properties
Anna Coblin's brother. He likes to say "Five prope'ties. Plente money." He drives a dairy truck. Later in the novel, he marries a woman Simon had been with and hoped to wed.
Frazer
Frazer studies politics at the university and is Mimi's lover while there. He later meets Augie in Paris, where they are both living and working. He's "into politics," which probably tells us quite a bit about his personality.
George
Augie's special needs brother, George (or Georgie) is well loved by his family, but they are forced to put him in a home with professional staff so that he doesn't bring anyone to harm.
Grammick
A clever and effective union organizer, Grammick brings Augie into the field. Grammick uses his wits rather than fear and force to get his way. He's our kind of guy.
Grandma Lausch
An elderly Russian matriarch who lives with the March family as a boarder, Grandma Lausch is intelligent and strong-willed. Her sons have arranged this as it works for them and works for the Marches. She runs the household, teaching the boys the ways of the world in the hopes they'll become gentlemen, if nothing higher. She has a poodle named Winnie, no relation to Pooh.
Guillaume
One of the oddest characters we meet, Guillaume managers a luxury club for dogs. He has a temper and a fondness for using the hypodermic needle on his clients' pets.
Iggy
Augie's friend in Mexico, Iggy tries to comfort Augie after Thea leaves him. He also corrects Augie misperceptions, showing Augie the harm he himself did to his relationship with Thea. Iggy and Augie—sounds like quite the duo.
Jimmy Klein
Jimmy is Augie's childhood friend. Grandma doesn't like him because he steals and gets into trouble. Later in the novel, Jimmy catches Augie shoplifting books, but because of their old friendship, he helps Augie out.
Mama
Augie's mother is mostly blind, not very intelligent, superstitious, and not much of an influence on Augie's life. We guess the apple does fall far from the tree after all. She's been abandoned by the boy's father and only gets by because of the aid of Grandma Lausch.
Manny Padilla
Listen close to Manny, all you college students out there: Manny teaches Augie the art of stealing expensive books. He also becomes a life-saver to him and Mimi when the hospital refuses to treat Mimi for abortion complications. Manny knows a doctor and makes the introductions.
(Disclaimer: Shmoop does not condone book stealing, so don't get any ideas.)
Mimi Villars
Mimi is a waitress Augie meets while staying in student housing. She lives in the next room. They become very good friends, but not lovers. She's dating a student named Frazer. Augie admires her because he's exceptionally strong-willed, speaks her mind to a fault, and has a keen sense for who she is. She ridicules him for his stupid decisions. When Mimi discovers she's pregnant, she goes to Augie for help, and he accompanies her to a doctor who performs illegal abortions. When the procedure has complications, Augie takes her to the hospital.
Moulton
Augie meets Moulton in Mexico. He's a writer and has a habit of calling Augie by the name "Bolingbroke," because to him Augie looks like someone who should have that name if he already doesn't have it.
Mr. and Mrs. Renling
Mr. Renling runs a sporting goods business and hires Augie. Mrs. Renling thinks of Augie like a son and brings him with her when she goes to Benton Harbor. She wants to adopt Augie and is offended when Augie declines her offer.
Sophie Geratis
Sophie is a chambermaid in a luxury hotel. She speaks for a delegation that wants to organize into a union, and meets Augie when he's the union rep. They become lovers even though Sophie is engaged. Later, Sophie wants to get a divorce and marry Augie. This might have happened, but World War II erupts and distracts Augie. Sophie who?
Stella
Stella is an actress Augie meets in Mexico. She's with a man named Oliver but doesn't love him. She asks Augie to help her get away from him. In the escape, they sleep together. Later, she and Augie start seeing each other and get married. Unknown to Augie—for a time—Stella has been threatening a former lover named Cumberland. She lies to Augie when he confronts her about him. She's also not convinced she wants the settled life that Augie desires. But is Augie even convinced that's what he desires?
Tillie and Arthur Einhorn
Tillie is William Einhorn's wife and Arthur is their son. Tillie is shy and puts up with her husband's regular adultery. Arthur is a smart boy, but has to move back in with his folks after he gets a sexually transmitted disease and has a baby abandoned to him by the child's mother. Arthur falls in love with Mimi.
William Einhorn
Augie describes Einhorn as "the first superior man I knew" (5.1). He runs a poolroom and owns other properties, but loses a lot of his wealth after the Crash. He hires Augie to assist him with basic tasks because he's paralyzed. To Augie, he's a superior man not because he always succeeds, but because he doesn't let his limits hold him down. Einhorn refuses to let his paralysis prevent him from having money or mistresses.