Martin is the grandson of Old Martin Chuzzlewit and was raised by his grandfather to be prideful and selfish. He grew up expecting to inherit his immense wealth, but fell in love with Old Martin’s paid companion, Mary. Though Old Martin had secretly wanted Martin and Mary to marry, he became suspicious when Martin announced that they were engaged, fearing that Martin was only after Mary for the money he could get from her. Martin was cast out of his grandfather’s house and left on his own. When he saw an advertisement for Pecksniff’s architectural apprenticeship, Martin took it not because he wanted to be an architect, but because he knew his grandfather hated Pecksniff and he wanted to be spiteful.

While with Pecksniff, Martin is still as prideful as ever, and doesn’t check on Mary despite professing his love for her and wanting to keep their engagement. He takes advantage of people of lower status, like Tom, but is ultimately thrown out of Pecksniff’s house once Pecksniff learns what Old Martin thinks about his grandson. Martin experiences his first change afterward, when he is faced with the realities of poverty in London. He has to sell most of the things he owns, and none of his old friends will help him, so he begins to feel dejected. Martin is mostly concerned with securing his fortune. He claims this will allow him to marry Mary, but when he thinks about it, he is mostly concerned with spiting his selfish grandfather.

Martin goes to America to seek his fortune, but quickly learns that the people there are just as selfish as he is, if not more. He falls for a scheme where he buys unlivable land without seeing it, and immediately falls ill upon reaching this land in Eden. Here, Martin experiences great change, as his months-long illness and the help of his companion Mark lead him to think deeply about his character and how he treats others. Martin’s character changes entirely: Through the rest of the novel, Martin concerns himself with making an honest and humble living, and even forgives his grandfather for their falling out.

Martin is a highly dynamic character. He learns to overcome his selfishness and to give back to others, and is ultimately rewarded for his change of character. Old Martin blesses Martin’s marriage to Mary, and the conclusion shows them living a happy life together with their children. The conclusion doesn’t mention money or status—things which Martin has little concern for once he recognizes the importance of the people in his life.

Seth Pecksniff is an architect and cousin of Old Martin. Though there are many villains in Martin Chuzzlewit, Pecksniff is often characterized as the worst by the narrator as well as other characters.

While Pecksniff represents himself as a moral and upright businessman to everyone who knows him, he is selfish, scheming, and hypocritical. He takes in apprentices and students of architecture to charge them money for tuition, all while passing their designs off as his own to run his architectural business. He schemes to get Old Martin’s money, while pandering to him the whole time and trying to get the man under his influence for more money and power. Pecksniff is ruthless, willing to barter his own daughters’ safety and happiness to make more money and assure his power. He often soliloquizes on the morals he pretends to display, meanwhile doing the exact opposite behind everyone’s backs.

Whereas other prideful characters in the novel learn from their mistakes, Pecksniff is a stagnant character. Even after Old Martin rebukes him and he is left to a life of begging and heavy drinking, he still plays the part of a pandering superior gentleman. His selfishness and hypocrisy lead to his own destruction.

Tom Pinch is one of Pecksniff’s architectural apprentices/assistants, who is a foil to Pecksniff’s villainy. From the beginning of the novel, Tom is described as entirely pure and good, if a little naive. Tom sees the best in everyone, even Pecksniff, believing him to be the superior gentleman he presents himself as in spite of the cruel way he often treats Tom.

Tom takes pleasure in the simple things like playing the organ at the village church for free and writing to his beloved sister, Ruth, in London. Tom has little money, but is willing to lend it to others if he believes he is doing good. He often does things to help people, whether or not they help him in return, and is instrumental in the plot because of his tendency to do good for others.

Tom is a dynamic character in that he eventually learns to see Pecksniff’s evil, though this doesn’t challenge his optimism and the way he sees the best in everyone. Even when he is criticized, Tom chalks it up to a misunderstanding rather than a failing of his character. His goodness is what sustains him throughout the novel, and because he is always looking after others’ well-being and happiness, they ultimately ensure he has all the love he needs. The novel ends with a description of Tom’s simple but happy life, surrounded not by the fortunes other characters were in search of, but by the people who make his life meaningful.

Mark Tapley is another resident of the village in Wiltshire who works in the local inn, the Blue Dragon. He courts the inn’s widowed owner, Mrs. Lupin, but is mainly concerned with proving his own character to himself.

Mark is one of the few characters whose interests are moral rather than financial. He seeks to test his character and his reputation as a cheerful person by putting himself in decidedly uncheerful situations, thus being able to prove it is himself, rather than his situation, that makes him jolly. His idea to go with Martin to America isn’t financially motivated; instead, Mark knows Martin’s true character and wants to embark on this dangerous journey with a selfish man to prove himself. His attitude makes him popular on board their ship, and Mark retains that cheer even in Eden, where he faces even bigger challenges.

Mark is characterized not only by his cheerfulness but also by his loyalty and willingness to help others. Like Tom, he is beloved by most of the characters in the novel because of his goodness. He is ultimately rewarded for changing Martin and all of his other good deeds. He receives Mrs. Lupin’s hand in marriage and plans to return to the Blue Dragon and rename it the Jolly Tapley to honor his cheerfulness and how he has proven himself.

Anthony Chuzzlewit is Old Martin’s brother and is equally selfish. He has instilled his pride and selfishness in his son Jonas, who is perhaps even more concerned with money, as he continually wishes that his father would die so he could receive his inheritance. While they work and earn money in London, Anthony hoards the money. They want to gain Old Martin’s confidence to be written into his will, but Old Martin knows the two are scheming and hates them for it.

Jonas eventually grows tired of waiting for his father to die and takes matters into his own hands, buying poison to kill Anthony, but being too cowardly to use it. Anthony learns about his son’s plan and tells his trusted friend and valet, Chuffey. Anthony recognizes that he has instilled this pride in his own son and regrets his actions. He pretends to take the poison, making Jonas believe he did, but simultaneously falls ill and dies of natural causes.

Jonas does not regret his decision, but feels the weight of its secret throughout the rest of the novel. He still continues his schemes to make money, marrying the Pecksniff daughter with the biggest dowry and joining a life-insurance scheme to steal from the people of London. His need to keep his secret leads Jonas to murder Tigg, his associate, who found out about the poison. The police arrest Jonas for Tigg’s murder at the end of the novel. On the way to prison, Jonas takes the poison that was meant for his father, unable to face the consequences of his actions.

Charity “Cherry” and Mercy “Merry” are Pecksniff’s two daughters, who initially believe their father’s moral façade. Cherry, the elder daughter, is initially known for her sense, while Merry is known for her sensibility and her playful nature. The two remain this way until they become involved with Jonas, who flirts with Cherry and implies he will propose to her, before learning he can get Pecksniff to give Merry a bigger dowry. Jonas’s decision to marry Merry turns the sisters against one another: Cherry becomes bitter and jealous, while Merry wants to marry mainly to spite her sister, not taking marriage seriously.

Cherry begins flirting with a man named Augustus Moddle, who once fell for Merry. Merry suffers abuse from Jonas and loses her cheerful nature, beginning to reflect more on her situation and to take her marriage seriously. Ultimately, both women change significantly, as Merry sees how their father’s influence has corrupted them. After Jonas’s death, Merry goes to live with Old Martin, implying she will continue to grow as a character. Meanwhile, Cherry takes on Pecksniff’s petulant nature and plans to marry Moddle, but the man leaves her at the altar, condemning her cruelty and selfishness.

Mary Graham is an orphan whom Old Martin took into his care to take care of him. Mary only gets paid while Old Martin is alive, leading him to trust her more than anyone else. Mary falls in love with Martin, though unlike both Martins, Mary is caring and not selfish. She says little within the novel, but she continually tries to take care of those around her, whether or not they know she is doing so.

She is willing to stand up for herself, as she does when Pecksniff tries to assault her. She sees the best in Martin, even though he never writes to her and does little to assure her of his love or their marriage. She sees the truth in Pecksniff’s actions toward Old Martin, but also sees the good in others like Tom. Mary is the one who tells Tom of his delusions about Pecksniff, doing so gently and for his own well-being. Mary is generous, kind, and caring, and she is ultimately rewarded with a happy life with the man she loves.

Ruth Pinch is Tom’s beloved sister, who works as a governess for a wealthy family at the beginning of the novel. She lives in London, away from Tom and others who cannot see that she suffers emotional abuse at the hands of her employers. Unlike Tom, Ruth is beautiful and elegant, surprising the Pecksniffs when they first meet her. Like Tom, she is characterized by the ways she helps others and her love for her sibling.

John Westlock was an apprentice for Pecksniff, like Tom, but he eventually came into an inheritance and some property in London, where he moved at the beginning of the novel. Unlike Tom, he always saw how Pecksniff took advantage of his apprentices, but knew Tom was too good to see this. Since John didn’t always have money, he is willing to give it to friends freely once he gets some, and delights in welcoming others to his home in London and providing for them.

The first time John sees Ruth, he takes a liking to her and falls in love with her upon closer acquaintance. Ruth, John, and Tom make up an inseparable trio, though two of them attempt to hide their feelings from one another. Together, they are a representation of all that is good and peaceful. When they decide to marry, Ruth and John know they can’t live without Tom, and they all end up living together happily with their growing family.