Major Characters

• The Narrator (The Young Writer) ✪✪✪:  He is the central male character of the story. In his youth, he lived in Paris in poverty and had just begun his writing career. He is polite, shy, gentle, and never wants to embarrass anyone. The woman guest takes advantage of this politeness and simplicity. Throughout the story, we see that he tries to please his guest even though he himself is struggling financially. His fear, helplessness, and inner shame create much of the humor in the story. In the end, he sarcastically says that the woman’s huge weight is his revenge.
• The Woman (The Female Guest):  She is the main female character of the story. She repeatedly claims that she “eats very little,” “eats only one thing,” or “does not eat luncheon.” But in reality, she keeps ordering expensive items one after another: caviar, salmon, asparagus, ice-cream, and peach. She is proud, self-centered, and very skillful with words. She fully satisfies her own desires but never once considers the young writer’s financial hardship. Her hypocrisy and inconsistency are the main sources of humor and satire in the story. She represents the false and pretentious side of society.

Minor Characters

• The Waiter: He is the restaurant worker who happily serves everything the woman orders because it increases the restaurant’s profit. He eagerly offers salmon, caviar, asparagus, everything. His smile often feels artificial. He represents the economic reality where the customer’s wishes always come first.
• The Head Waiter: He appears at the end with expensive, out-of-season peaches. His purpose is clear, to raise the bill even more. His “false smile” increases the narrator’s financial distress. He represents the commercial mindset of the restaurant business.