Estimated read time: 12 min read
Table of Contents
List of Characters
| Character Name | Role/Relationship | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jules Jacobson | Protagonist | Observant, aspiring comic, complex |
| Ethan Figman | Central friend | Talented animator, loyal, awkward |
| Ash Wolf | Central friend | Privileged, idealistic, compassionate |
| Goodman Wolf | Ash’s brother | Troubled, charming, impulsive |
| Jonah Bay | Central friend | Musical, reserved, enigmatic |
| Cathy Kiplinger | Central friend | Driven, athletic, outspoken |
| Dennis Boyd | Jules’s husband | Practical, patient, dependable |
Role Identification
| Character Name | Role in Story | Importance to Plot |
|---|---|---|
| Jules Jacobson | Main protagonist | Perspective through which events are filtered |
| Ethan Figman | Love interest, friend | Catalyst for key conflicts; symbolizes realized ambition |
| Ash Wolf | Close friend, confidante | Connector; explores privilege and loyalty |
| Goodman Wolf | Antagonist figure, brother | Source of discord; embodies moral complexity |
| Jonah Bay | Mysterious friend | Represents artistic struggle and personal trauma |
| Cathy Kiplinger | Peripheral friend | Challenges group dynamics; voice of realism |
| Dennis Boyd | Support character | Grounding force for Jules; contrast to "Interestings" |
Character Descriptions
Jules Jacobson
Jules is the lens through which readers experience much of the story. Her humor is sharp but often self-deprecating. As a teenager, she is awed by her new, wealthy friends at the Spirit-in-the-Woods camp. She aspires to be a comic but struggles with self-doubt and the realities of adult life.
Ethan Figman
Ethan is physically awkward, with an unremarkable appearance, but his creative talent is extraordinary. He is gentle, deeply loyal, and becomes a wildly successful animator. Ethan’s unrequited love for Jules and later marriage to Ash create the core emotional tension in the group.
Ash Wolf
Ash is beautiful, wealthy, and seemingly effortless in her kindness. She is sensitive to the feelings of her friends and aspires to make a difference in the world. Ash’s privilege impacts how she moves through life but also fuels her sense of responsibility.
Goodman Wolf
Goodman is charismatic and physically imposing, yet emotionally unstable. His inability to manage his impulses leads to the novel’s central crime. Goodman’s actions fracture relationships and haunt the group for decades.
Jonah Bay
Jonah is handsome, quiet, and musically gifted. The son of a famous folk singer, he carries emotional wounds from his mother’s fame and a traumatic incident in his youth. Jonah is haunted, enigmatic, and distanced from the group.
Cathy Kiplinger
Cathy is a talented dancer with a strong personality. She is grounded and practical, often feeling alienated by the group’s privilege. Cathy’s ambition is undercut by a knee injury, forcing her to reconsider her dreams.
Dennis Boyd
Dennis is Jules’s husband, a pragmatic son of a plumber. He is supportive but skeptical of the group’s nostalgia. His presence in Jules’s life creates a contrast between adolescence and adulthood.
Character Traits
| Character | Key Traits |
|---|---|
| Jules Jacobson | Intelligent, insecure, observant |
| Ethan Figman | Creative, loyal, awkward, generous |
| Ash Wolf | Compassionate, privileged, idealistic |
| Goodman Wolf | Impulsive, charming, volatile |
| Jonah Bay | Reserved, sensitive, introspective |
| Cathy Kiplinger | Ambitious, tough, outspoken |
| Dennis Boyd | Practical, supportive, stable |
Character Background
Jules Jacobson
Jules comes from a middle-class family in Underhill, New York. She feels out of place among her affluent friends. Her experience at Spirit-in-the-Woods gives her a taste of a world she longs to belong to but never quite accesses. Her early aspirations as a comic gradually fade as adult responsibilities take precedence.
Ethan Figman
Ethan is from a working-class background. His parents are supportive but not wealthy. He finds his place in the world through his animation talent, eventually creating a successful show. Ethan’s loyalty to his friends is unwavering, but his emotional life is complicated by his feelings for Jules and marriage to Ash.
Ash Wolf
Ash is the daughter of liberal, affluent parents in Manhattan. Her upbringing is marked by privilege, which informs her desire to do good. She becomes a theater director and uses her resources to help others, though she sometimes struggles to see her own blind spots.
Goodman Wolf
Goodman is raised in the same privilege as Ash but lacks her stability. He is unable to channel his advantages productively. Goodman’s volatility leads to a tragic crime that shapes the group’s future.
Jonah Bay
Jonah is the son of Susannah Bay, a famous folk singer. He grows up in a world of music and fame but is emotionally scarred by an early trauma. His struggles with intimacy and self-expression distance him from lifelong friendships.
Cathy Kiplinger
Cathy hails from a modest background. She is determined to succeed as a dancer, but a knee injury derails her career. Cathy's realism and occasional bitterness set her apart from the group’s idealism.
Dennis Boyd
Dennis is practical and grounded. He does not share the artistic ambitions of Jules’s friends. His steady presence provides Jules with a sense of security and reality, anchoring her as she moves away from her youthful dreams.
Character Arcs
Jules Jacobson
Jules's arc is one of longing and acceptance. She begins as an outsider with dreams of artistic success, hoping to belong among the "Interestings." Over the decades, she must reconcile her ambitions with her reality. Jules ultimately finds peace in her ordinary life, coming to value her own story and relationships.
Ethan Figman
Ethan's journey is marked by external success and internal longing. He achieves his professional dreams but grapples with personal disappointments, especially his unrequited love for Jules. Ethan remains the moral center of the group, forgiving and nurturing even when betrayed.
Ash Wolf
Ash matures from an idealistic teenager into a complex adult. She uses her privilege to help others, but must face hard truths about her family and marriage. Ash's loyalty is tested by her brother’s crime and her husband’s secrets.
Goodman Wolf
Goodman's arc is tragic. His inability to control his impulses leads to disaster. He flees from responsibility and ultimately becomes a shadowy figure, representing the group’s lost innocence and unresolved guilt.
Jonah Bay
Jonah’s arc is defined by self-discovery and healing. He distances himself from the group to protect himself but gradually begins to reconnect. Jonah must learn to integrate his painful past with his present life.
Cathy Kiplinger
Cathy’s journey is one of resilience. Her dreams are shattered early, but she rebuilds her life on her own terms. Cathy’s outsider status gives her a unique perspective on the group and on privilege.
Dennis Boyd
Dennis’s arc is subtle. He remains steadfast, supporting Jules through her crises. His acceptance of his ordinary life provides a counterpoint to the group’s pursuit of greatness.
Relationships
| Character 1 | Character 2 | Nature of Relationship | Key Dynamics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jules Jacobson | Ethan Figman | Friends, unrequited love | Jules admires Ethan; Ethan loves Jules |
| Jules Jacobson | Ash Wolf | Best friends, confidantes | Emotional intimacy, occasional jealousy |
| Jules Jacobson | Dennis Boyd | Spouses | Stability, tension over Jules’s nostalgia |
| Ethan Figman | Ash Wolf | Spouses | Mutual respect, secrets, shared parenting |
| Ash Wolf | Goodman Wolf | Siblings | Protective, strained by Goodman’s actions |
| Jonah Bay | The Group | Friends, distant | Emotional distance, periodic reconnection |
| Cathy Kiplinger | The Group | Friends, outsider | Resentment, honesty, occasional conflict |
In-Depth Character Analysis
Jules Jacobson
Personality and Motivations
Jules is intelligent and humorous but haunted by insecurity. She desires to transcend her ordinary background and become extraordinary, like her friends. Her cynicism masks a deep longing for acceptance.
Key Relationships
Her friendship with Ash is central, marked by both devotion and envy. Jules’s relationship with Ethan is complex; she is flattered by his attention but cannot reciprocate his romantic feelings. Her marriage to Dennis is grounded in reality, contrasting with the idealism of her youth.
Character Arc
Jules’s arc traces the tension between aspiration and acceptance. She envies her friends’ success but eventually learns to value her own life. Her journey is a meditation on the meaning of happiness and fulfillment.
Ethan Figman
Personality and Motivations
Ethan is defined by creativity and loyalty. He is the group’s anchor, always generous and forgiving. His love for Jules shapes many of his choices.
Key Relationships
Ethan’s marriage to Ash is solid but complicated by his feelings for Jules. He remains close to all the friends, even as secrets and betrayals emerge.
Character Arc
Ethan’s rise to fame is contrasted by personal disappointments. He chooses forgiveness and remains a symbol of steady, unselfish love.
Ash Wolf
Personality and Motivations
Ash’s compassion is genuine, but she is sometimes naive about her privilege. She feels responsible for others, especially her brother Goodman.
Key Relationships
Her relationships with Jules and Goodman define her loyalty. Ash’s marriage to Ethan is tested by secrets but endures through mutual respect.
Character Arc
Ash must reconcile her ideals with difficult truths. Her journey is about maturity, self-awareness, and the limits of good intentions.
Goodman Wolf
Personality and Motivations
Goodman is charming but self-destructive. He resents his sister’s stability and feels entitled to success.
Key Relationships
His relationship with Ash is protective but strained. Goodman’s crime against Cathy and subsequent flight devastate his friendships.
Character Arc
Goodman’s arc ends in exile. He is a cautionary figure, representing the consequences of unchecked privilege and immaturity.
Jonah Bay
Personality and Motivations
Jonah is artistic and introspective. He is guarded, shaped by trauma and the pressures of his famous mother.
Key Relationships
Jonah withdraws from the group, seeking solace in music. He reconnects intermittently but maintains distance to protect himself.
Character Arc
Jonah’s journey is about healing and self-acceptance. He finds peace in his own path, separate from the group’s legacy.
Cathy Kiplinger
Personality and Motivations
Cathy is practical and outspoken. She resents the group’s privilege and questions their insularity.
Key Relationships
Her early romance with Goodman ends in violence. Cathy’s honesty sometimes alienates her from the others.
Character Arc
Cathy’s career is cut short, but she adapts. She represents resilience and the reality of dreams deferred.
Dennis Boyd
Personality and Motivations
Dennis is steady and unpretentious. He values honesty and hard work, skeptical of nostalgia.
Key Relationships
His marriage to Jules is a source of stability, though threatened by her yearning for the past.
Character Arc
Dennis remains constant, embodying the value of ordinary happiness.
Evolution of Relationships
Jules and Ash
Their friendship is a touchstone for both. Tensions arise over success, family, and loyalty, but their bond survives decades of change.
Jules and Ethan
Ethan’s love for Jules is persistent but unrequited. Their friendship is a source of comfort and guilt.
Ash and Ethan
Their marriage is shaped by mutual respect and shared values. They face challenges but remain united.
Goodman and the Group
Goodman’s crime and disappearance create a lasting rift. He becomes the group’s unresolved grief.
Jonah and the Group
Jonah’s distance is protective. He maintains his individuality but remains connected in spirit.
Cathy and the Group
Cathy’s outsider status gives her clarity. She is both a critic and a witness to the group’s evolution.
Thematic Analysis Through Characters
The Meaning of Success
The characters embody different outcomes of ambition. Ethan attains fame, Jules finds contentment in ordinariness, Ash seeks to do good, and Cathy rebuilds after loss.
The Impact of Privilege
Privilege shapes Ash and Goodman’s trajectories. Jules and Cathy, less privileged, struggle with envy and exclusion.
The Nature of Friendship
The group’s bonds are tested by time, secrets, and betrayal. Their enduring connection demonstrates the complexity and resilience of friendship.
Guilt and Forgiveness
Goodman’s crime and Ethan’s forgiveness highlight themes of guilt, accountability, and the difficulty of moving on.
Character Arcs Summary Table
| Character | Beginning State | Key Transformations | End State/Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jules Jacobson | Insecure, aspirational | Accepts ordinariness, values relationships | Content with her life, at peace with herself |
| Ethan Figman | Talented but awkward | Achieves success, forgives old wounds | Respected, emotionally mature |
| Ash Wolf | Privileged, idealistic | Faces family secrets, matures | Compassionate but wiser |
| Goodman Wolf | Charismatic, impulsive | Commits crime, flees responsibility | Isolated, unresolved |
| Jonah Bay | Traumatized, reserved | Seeks healing, maintains distance | Self-accepting, independent |
| Cathy Kiplinger | Ambitious, hopeful | Career lost, finds new purpose | Realistic, resilient |
| Dennis Boyd | Practical, supportive | Supports Jules through change | Stable, loving |
Conclusion
"The Interestings" by Meg Wolitzer explores the evolution of friendship, ambition, and identity. Each character brings a unique perspective on what it means to be extraordinary. Their intertwined lives reveal the complexities of growing up, the weight of secrets, and the enduring nature of connection.
Through detailed character arcs and relationships, Wolitzer provides a nuanced portrait of ambition and contentment. The group, once unified by youthful dreams, must navigate the realities of adulthood. Their struggles and triumphs offer a meditation on the meaning of success, the power of forgiveness, and the value of ordinary lives.
