Characters from Tales of Ordinary Madness

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

Charles Bukowski - This character is an animalistic man with basic needs. He needs liquor as sustenance.

Henry Chinasky - This character is a writer who works by day in a dead-end job; he also flies to Seattle and reads at two universities in between drinking binges.

Duke - This character is a convicted criminal, thief, husband, and father.

Lala - This character is a young daughter, inquisitive, bright, and devoted to her father.

Nameless Women - These characters appear throughout the collection of short stories, and they play a variety of roles,...
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