The Confidence-Man Characters

Francis Goodman, a.k.a. The Cosmopolitan

We can't be sure, but Frank might be the devil. Yeah. It's not good. But the thing is, among this...

The Herb-Doctor

Folks, "snake-oil salesmen" isn't a term of endearment. Snake-oil may not be an herb, but that's...

The Stockbroker, John Thurman

Talk about an opportunist. Mr. Thurman—whose name we're not given until he's actually...

The Country Merchant, Mr. Roberts

Mr. Roberts, the country merchant, first makes a splash by being the first guy to display belief...

The Miser

Another character who's 0 for 2 when it comes to doling out the green, the miser is the one who...

The Unfortunate Man, John Ringman

John Ringman—if that's even his real name—has a past. And that past is odd....

Pitch, the Missourian

Aw, Pitch—he's the tough guy with a heart of gold. You can tell this dude's been...

The Man from the Philosophical Intelligence Office

This shifty dude isn't around for long, but he does make an impression. Boy, we never thought...

The Old Man

We thought the miser was sad and vulnerable until we met this guy. We can even tell you the exact...

Guinea

Guinea tugs at our heartstrings when the crowd around him makes the uber-ick decision to try to...

The Boy With the Little Door

If horror movies have taught us anything, it's that children who sneak up on you silently are bad...

The Man in the Grey and White Suit

Somber as a crypt, this guy's collecting money for widows and orphans. He's best known for being...

The Mute

The first individuated character we meet on this crowded ship, the mute stands out in the bustle...

The Barber

The barber is our no-nonsense character brought up just for a sec at the start of the text as a...

The Scholar

Okay, no character escapes this story without some harsh critique of their attitudes and...

Charlie

Charlie plays well with others—until they ask him for money. Then he likes to say things...

Egbert, Winsome's Apprentice

Egbert is a no-nonsense businessman, and he would sooner let you die in the streets than loan you...

The Puritan, Mark Winsome

Mark Winsome is mostly important in that he introduces us to Egbert. He has sort of an oddball...

The Man with the Wooden Leg

We're just gonna say it: this "sour-faced person" (3, 19) is kind of a crumb cake. He's bitter...