An Experiment with an Air Pump Characters

Joseph Fenwick is an esteemed scientist, philanthropist, and political radical. Fenwick embodies the spirit of the Enlightenment and believes that knowledge and progress go hand in hand. Humanity, he thinks, is capable of understanding every… read analysis of Joseph Fenwick

Susannah Fenwick is Fenwick’s wife. She spends most of the play drunk, seemingly to cope with the constant belittlement and mistreatment her husband subjects her to. Though Susannah’s situation invites sympathy, she expresses her… read analysis of Susannah Fenwick

Harriet Fenwick is the daughter of Fenwick and Susannah and the twin sister of Maria. Unlike Maria, Harriet is bold and outspoken. She writes poetry and has even composed a play. However, she’s not… read analysis of Harriet Fenwick

Maria Fenwick is the daughter of Fenwick and Susannah. She is sweet and demure but rather naïve, especially compared to her outspoken twin sister, Harriet. Also unlike Harriet, Maria isn’t interested in science—or… read analysis of Maria Fenwick

Thomas Armstrong is a brilliant but unfeeling young scientist Fenwick has taken on at Dr Farleigh’s request. Fenwick, who thinks that “good science” should be informed by good morals, dislikes Armstrong for his detached… read analysis of Thomas Armstrong

Isobel Bridie is the Fenwick family’s domestic servant. She’s an outsider in more than one way. First, she’s from Scotland, while the main characters are English. Second, though she’s intelligent and literate, she’s of a… read analysis of Isobel Bridie

Edward is Maria’s fiancé. He’s stationed in India (where in the late 18th century England had a colonial presence) on unspecified business. During set changes, Maria takes to the stage alone and reads aloud… read analysis of Edward

Dr Farleigh is a research scientist known for his anatomy demonstrations. He doesn’t appear in the play, but numerous characters—namely Armstrong—reference him and his demonstrations. Like many of his contemporaries, Farleigh procures the cadavers… read analysis of Dr Farleigh

Miss Cholmondeley is Edward’s lover in India. He mentions her in passing in his letters to an unsuspecting, naïve Maria, but it’s not until Edward incorrectly calls Maria’s eyes blue—the color of Miss… read analysis of Miss Cholmondeley

Ellen is a 40-something scientist doing groundbreaking research for the Human Genome Project, one of whose goals is to identify the genetic source of diseases like schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s and, ultimately, use this information to… read analysis of Ellen

Tom is Ellen’s husband. He’s an English lecturer who has recently lost his job. He has moral qualms with Ellen’s genetic research and has therefore turned down Ellen’s numerous attempts to discuss her job… read analysis of Tom

Phil is a builder conducting a building survey on Ellen and Tom’s house—the same house in which the 1799 plot takes place. Phil hasn’t had a formal education, and this sets him apart from… read analysis of Phil

Kate is a young scientist and former colleague of Ellen’s whose company is offering Ellen a job and wants to fund Ellen’s research with the Human Genome Project. Like Ellen, Kate has a passion… read analysis of Kate