Bleak House | Teaching Key Figures

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

Esther Summerson - Raised by Ms. Barbary, this character's guardian is Mr. Jarndyce.

Richard Carstone - This character is Ada's handsome and good-natured cousin.

Lady Dedlock - Married to Sir Leicester Dedlock, she is mother to Esther.

Ada Clare - This character is Mr. Jarndyce's ward and Richard's cousin.

Sir Leicester Dedlock - A baronet from an old family, he regards his family as essential to the existence of the world.

Mr. Jarndyce - This character is Esther's guardian who owns Bleak House.

Harold Skimpole - This character is a man who engages...
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