dew breaker characters: good one

Ka Bienaimé

Daughter of Papa and Anne, born in Brooklyn. She is an artist who sculpts figures of people based on stories she’s told, unaware her father was a torturer in Haiti. Her discovery of his past forces her to confront questions of identity, heritage, and moral legacy.

Papa (The Dew Breaker)

A former Tonton Macoute torturer who fled Haiti to the U.S. He attempts to hide his violent past but is haunted by it. His relationship with his daughter Ka is strained when she learns the truth. He symbolizes complicity, guilt, and the long shadows of state violence.

Anne Bienaimé / Landlady

Ka’s mother and Papa’s wife. She is epileptic and devoutly religious. Her past includes trauma from her brother’s death during a seizure. Though aware of Papa’s past, she stays with him, embodying both resilience and quiet suffering.

Man / Husband / Eric

Haitian immigrant living in New York, separated from his wife for seven years. His story in 'Seven' explores love, sacrifice, and the strain of long

Woman / Wife

Eric’s wife, left behind in Haiti after their wedding. Her story deals with longing, hope, and adjusting to a changed relationship when reunited with her husband in the U.S. after years apart.

Michel

Haitian immigrant shown in three life stages. As a teenager in Haiti, a lonely 19: is there when it all falls down. is the illegitimate son of Monsieur Christophe, a man in his neighborhood who is powerful due to the fact that he runs a water station

Dany

Young Haitian man whose parents were killed by the regime. Raised by his aunt Estina, he immigrates to the U.S. after recognizing Papa as his parents' killer. Struggles with vengeance and justice.

The Preacher

Anne’s stepbrother and a preacher in Haiti. Left home young, broadcasts his sermons via radio. He is Papa’s former victim, attacked by him while imprisoned. Represents moral resistance and survival.

Nadine Osnac

Isolated nurse living in Brooklyn, coping with an abortion and break

Emmanuel Constant

Real-life figure referenced in the book. Leader of a brutal paramilitary group targeting supporters of President Aristide. Escaped to the U.S. and represents the transnational impunity of war criminals.

Estina Estème

Dany’s blind aunt and caretaker after his parents’ murder. A midwife respected in her village. Despite her blindness, she is wise and clear

Claude

Haitian American teenager deported to Haiti after murdering his father. Addicted to drugs, emotionally unstable, and struggling with identity and guilt. Represents the failures of both the U.S. and Haiti to care for troubled youth.

Beatrice Saint Fort

Bridal seamstress living in Queens. Traumatized by torture in Haiti for rejecting a Tonton Macoute's advances. Lives reclusively, haunted by the past. Embodies female trauma and survival.

Aline Cajuste

Young journalism intern at a Haitian American paper. Recently heartbroken from a relationship with an older woman. Explores identity, sexuality, and generational differences in immigrant families.

Romain

Michel’s best friend from youth in Haiti. Supportive, intelligent, and rebellious. His compassion and understanding provide Michel with emotional refuge during childhood.

Rézia

Haitian immigrant and restaurant owner in NYC. Befriends Mariselle and Freda in a GED class. Opens up about her past, highlighting the trauma and healing among immigrant women. she gets raped by a government offical in a brothel

Mariselle

Haitian artist whose husband was killed for painting the president. Immigrated to the U.S. and befriends Rézia and Freda. Seeks empowerment through education and community. opens an art gallery later to show off their work

Freda

Former funeral singer in Haiti, started singing after her father’s funeral. Lives in the U.S. and attends GED classes with Mariselle and Rézia. Her voice and experiences symbolize resilience and sorrow.

Léon

Shoeshiner who subtly resists the Duvalier regime by humiliating Volunteers. Caught between fear and resistance. His small acts of rebellion show the limits and power of personal resistance under dictatorship.