The Maidens and Brooklyn people, places, and motifs

Eilis Lacey

Our responsible protagonist who is quiet and left her hometown of Enniscorthy for work in Brooklyn, NY, America. She also meets her love here named Tony and has to make difficult decisions for her hometown because she loves him so much. Lastly, she trains to become an accountant and while she’s the only Irish girl in her American accounting classes, she shows that women can work and be very good at it (that was uncommon for the time).

Mr. Kehoe

He went west, he left Mrs. Kehoe with a lot of debts, and he’s from kilmore Quay

Sergeant Mulhall

His wife plays poker with Mrs. Kehoe.

Miss Scanlan

She’s a Dodgers’ fan, she’s Mrs. Kehoe’s friend, and they watch baseball together

Jack Lacey

Eilis’s younger brother whom she’s very close with. He’s the only brother to write her letters from Enniscorthy the whole book, and he relates to her homesickness since he has to leave home for work

Nancy Byrne

Eilis’s best friend who’s one of the most beautiful girls in Enniscorthy. She married a guy from Enniscorthy named George Sheridan, but through marrying him, Nancy’s become mature and gets good manners.

Uncle Micheal

He’s Eilis’s uncle, he attended Rose’s funeral, and his being at the funeral emphasizes Eilis not going herself.

Mrs. Prendergast

A customer at Miss Kelly’s.

George Sheridan

Nancy’s husband whose parents own a shop that Nancy might become a “slave” to as his wife. His mother is the one who puts the thought into Eilis’s head while his mother’s drunk that her and Jim are dating, yet if anyone finds out about that then Jim could find out and that would be a disaster!

Mrs. Sheridan

George’s mother who works in the family shop and is very “noble” (aristocratic, stuck up).

Georgina

Eilis’s boatmate who’s on the boat when Eilis takes it from Enniscorthy to Brooklyn. She smokes a lot and is very confident, but she helps Eilis figure out what the boat is all about since she goes back and forth on boats quite often.

Miss Bartocci (Elisabeth Bartocci)

She manages Bartocci’s, she’s the daughter of Bartocci, and she’s very stylish.

Mr. Bartocci

He’s the owner of Bartocci’s, he’s a good friend of Father Flood, and he’s AKA Franco.

Miss McAdam

One of Eilis’s roommates, she puts a lot of effort into her looks, she’s a secretary (and thinks women don’t have a good while having “lowly jobs” like cleaning and doing laundry), and she sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong often.

Old Hatchethead (Seamus)

Father Flood’s uncle and a Rochford. Also it’s the derogatory name they give to Miss Kelly.

Miss Keegan

Another roommate of Eilis who lives in the basement of the complex until she moves out and Eilis takes her room. She likes talking about movie stars and politics, and she moves out to live with her brother and his wife in Ireland. She moves out because a man “exposes himself” to her.

Diana Montini

Another one of Eilis’s roommates who stays in the basement of the complex, but moves out to stay with Patty and her Patty’s sister in Central Park. She’s Patty’s best friend and is “man-mad.”

Miss Delano

She’s another sales assistant at Bartocci’s she’s from Brooklyn, and is a “wait until my father hears about this” girl.

Patty McGuire

She’s “man-mad” and she likes focusing on marrying a rich man over having a career, is normal during those times. Through Patty, Eilis tries to mend her broken relationship with Miss McAdam and Sheila since Eilis decides not to go out with them, which greatly upsets them.

Dolores

Another one of Eilis’s roommates who asks Eilis a lot of questions about Tony when Eilis and Dolores go to a dance together. Dolores pays part of her rent with cleaning the house, which many of the other roommates disagree on. Even though Eilis and Dolores go to a dance together, Eilis doesn’t want to as that will create more drama with her borders.

Annette O’Brien

Eilis’s friend who Nancy and Eilis are friend with, but eventually ditch to go on double dates themselves in Enniscorthy.

Mrs. Bruno

One of tony’s neighbors who Tony always helps her with plumbing issues, and her daughter’s obsessed with Tony in the book (that’s suspicious).

Sheila Heffernan

Another one of Eilis’s snobby roommates who’s a secretary and puts a lot of work into her looks also. She points out things about Eilis’s relationship with Tony (very rude!).

Maurizio

He’s a guy whom Frank knows and he got beat up by an Irish gang, which is an example of Frank’s and why he doesn’t like the Irish.

Maurice

One of Tony’s brothers who looks like a film star (according to Eilis). He’s a mechanic and doesn’t like to talk to strangers but he’s nice to Eilis.

Eilis’s fellow student

He’s taking night college classes with Eilis, he’s a young man, he has glasses and curly hair, he has a friendly and studious appearance and he’s Irish.

Laurence

One of Tony’s brothers, he looks like a film star, he’s a carpenter (almost).

Mary

Works in Miss Kelly’s store, but, unlike Eilis, is a full-time employee and gets bashed by Miss Kelly whenever Miss Kelly can.

Professor Joshua Rosenblum

Teaches a law course at Brooklyn College that Eilis takes as one of her night classes. Eilis finds Professor Rosenblum fascinating but has trouble applying his lectures to the pertinent material, though she ultimately passes his exams.

Pat Lacey

Eilis’s oldest brother who went to Birmingham with Jack and Martin to find work. He moves around too much and he was homesick for Ireland.

Martin Lacey

one of Eilis’s older brothers, who lives and works in Birmingham with Jack and Pat.