Intimate Apparel Character Analysis

Esther

The protagonist of the play; a black seamstress in New York who sews intimate apparel for ladies of all levels of society. Esther is 35, unmarried, and is described by herself and others as being… read analysis of Esther

George

A handsome Barbadian man working on the Panama Canal. He hears about Esther from one of his coworkers and begins a correspondence with her. In his letters, George appears just as interested in stories and… read analysis of George

Mayme

A black sex worker for whom Esther sews lingerie. Though Esther disapproves of Mayme's line of work, the two are close, genuine friends and often share their dreams with each other. Mayme initially moved to… read analysis of Mayme

Mrs. Van Buren

A wealthy white woman in her early 30s for whom Esther sews lingerie. Mrs. Van Buren appears to have it all—she's mostly successful at disguising her Southern roots, is a part of New York high… read analysis of Mrs. Van Buren

Mr. Marks

A Romanian Jewish fabric seller. It's unclear how long he's been in New York, but he's relatively young and likely immigrated to the U.S. sometime in the last ten years. Mr. Marks is a bright… read analysis of Mr. Marks

Mrs. Dickson

The stern older woman who owns the boardinghouse where Esther lives. Mrs. Dickson is proper and well to do, and for a widowed black woman, she's doing extremely well for herself. She came into these… read analysis of Mrs. Dickson

Minor Characters

Mr. Charles

A man who attends Mrs. Dickson's parties and, according to Mrs. Dickson, is sweet on Esther. Esther isn't interested, as Mr. Charles is overweight and she suspects he's attracted to men.

Corinna Mae

A young woman at Mrs. Dickson's boardinghouse. She's relatively pretty, but not especially smart. Esther resents her because she's getting married.