August: Osage County Character Analysis

Beverly Weston

The patriarch of the Weston family. Beverly appears in only one scene—the play’s prologue. Even after his disappearance and death, however, Beverly’s presence is palpable throughout the play and reflected in his family’s unraveling in… read analysis of Beverly Weston

Violet Weston

Beverly’s wife, and the matriarch of the Weston clan. A cruel and emotionally abusive narcotics addict, Violet has already begun to spiral out of control before Beverly’s disappearance. Recently diagnosed with mouth cancer, Violet… read analysis of Violet Weston

Barbara Fordham

Beverly and Violet’s eldest daughter. A whip-smart and sharp-tongued woman who has painstakingly tried to distance herself from the Plains and from her family, Barbara is both practical and easily flustered, decisive and yet… read analysis of Barbara Fordham

Bill Fordham

Barbara’s husband. A university professor currently embroiled in an affair with a younger student, Bill is intellectual and aloof. He loves Barbara but finds her difficult, and for this reason has chosen to distance… read analysis of Bill Fordham

Jean Fordham

Barbara and Bill’s fourteen-year-old daughter. Jean is sullen, quirky, and desperate for an escape from her difficult family; she retreats into movies and marijuana, longing to drown out her separated parents’ incessant fighting and… read analysis of Jean Fordham

Ivy Weston

The middle child of the Weston family, the quiet, sensitive, and emotionally aloof Ivy plays everything close to the chest. Ivy has lived in Pawhuska her entire life—she is the only one of her sisters… read analysis of Ivy Weston

Karen Weston

The youngest of the Weston sisters. Karen is flighty and false; she seems to have a checkered past marked by many failed relationships and unspeakable mistakes. Karen is guarded about her personal history but eager… read analysis of Karen Weston

Mattie Fae Aiken

Violet’s younger sister. Mattie Fae is boisterous and funny, but, like her sister, has a strong cruel streak. Mattie Fae’s meanness is mainly focused on her only son, Little Charles, who at thirty-seven… read analysis of Mattie Fae Aiken

Little Charles Aiken

Mattie Fae and Charlie Aiken’s adult son. Little Charles is thirty-seven years old but stunted in almost every way—he is unmarried, unemployed, and seemingly has trouble even taking basic care of himself. He is… read analysis of Little Charles Aiken

Johnna Monevata

A Native American woman from the Cheyenne tribe who is hired to be Beverly and Violet Weston’s live-in housekeeper. Despite the difficult emotional demands of the job she has accepted, Johnna quickly becomes a… read analysis of Johnna Monevata

Minor Characters

Charlie Aiken

Mattie Fae’s husband. A sensitive and jocular man who seems uneasy about replacing his brother-in-law Beverly as the patriarch of the Weston clan. Charlie resents Mattie Fae’s cruel treatment of their son, Little Charles, and attempts to defend his stunted but tender son any chance he gets.

Steve Heidebrecht

Karen’s fiancé. A shady businessman, Steve lives in Florida and is purposefully oblique about his profession. He is later revealed to be a pedophile when he attempts to sleep with the fourteen-year-old Jean.

Sheriff Deon Gilbeau

The Osage County Sheriff. He and Barbara attended high school together, and her return to Pawhuska seems to stir up longing for the past—and for one another—in both of them.