Characters
The Older Morgans:
- Gwilym Morgan, Huw's father: likes things done properly, with an attention to manners, and a minding of one's own business
- Beth Morgan, Huw's mother: devoted to her children and husband, uneducated, struggles to hold in her temper
- Bronwen, sister-in-law: A gentle character to whom Huw goes when he is in trouble or wants to know information that the adults hold from him. She is the mother of Gareth.
- Ivor Morgan, Huw's eldest brother, marries Bronwen, sides with the father against the strike, defends Angharad against Iestin Evan's initial familiarity.
The Middle Brothers: These are Huw's young adult brothers. Ianto goes to London to find work early in the book, but returns unsatisfied; Owen and Gwilym do the same later.
- Ianto Morgan, Huw's second oldest brother
- Davy Morgan, a leader in the union
- Owen Morgan, an inventor, frequently in the shed behind the house working on an engine
- Gwilym Morgan (junior), with his wife, Marged
The Younger Morgans:
- Angharad Morgan, Huw's sister, marries Iestyn Evans
- Ceridwen Morgan, Huw's sister, marries Blethyn
- Huw Morgan, son, the Narrator
- Olwen Morgan, Huw's youngest sister
Other Characters:
- Merddyn Gruffydd, the preacher who is beloved by Angharad, helps Huw recover from his illness, and offers general support to the Morgans.
- Iestyn Evans, an arrogant dandy, son of the mine owner, who courts Angharad. According to Young Gwilym, "a purse-proud ninny" (chapters 15, 22, 23, etc.)
- Master Jonas, an arrogant teacher who makes Huw's life miserable. He is pro-English, and ashamed of his Welsh heritage (chapters 16, 18, 19, & 21)
- Ceinwen Phillips, a manipulative young girl in love with Huw (chapters 24, 25, 26)
- Elias the Shop, enemy of the Morgan family (chapters 8 & 14)
- Dai Bando, Huw's boxing teacher (chapter 16)
Read more about this topic: How Green Was My Valley
Famous quotes containing the word characters:
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which stands continually open to our gaze, but it cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and interpret the characters in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures, without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.”
—Galileo Galilei (1564–1642)
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Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
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“The more gifted and talkative one’s characters are, the greater the chances of their resembling the author in tone or tint of mind.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)