Hunger | 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

Unnamed Protagonist - He is a spectacled young man, a writer who cannot find a job. Ylayali says that she thinks he is insane, and the modern reader may wonder if he suffers from manic depression.

Ylayali - The protagonist makes up this name for a woman he runs into on the street. She believes the narrator to be a drunk. She is coy and sexual towards him.

Old Cripple Man with a Bundle - The protagonist is annoyed by him as he makes slow progress with a bundle in front of...
(read more)