Miss Lily Bart is a 29-year-old beautiful woman of upper-class pedigree but lacking financial security. Raised to value luxury and sophisticated surroundings, she finds herself burdened by debts and societal expectations. Her primary goal is to secure a wealthy husband to maintain her elite status, though her independent spirit and artistic sensibilities frequently interfere with her calculated marital schemes.

A young lawyer with a modest income, Mr. Lawrence Selden moves comfortably within high society without being bound by its materialistic demands. He values personal freedom and maintains a detached, sometimes cynical view of the elite. He harbors a deep fascination with Miss Lily Bart, viewing her as a rare and beautiful presence, though he lacks the fortune she requires in a husband.

Mr. Simon Rosedale is a wealthy Jewish businessman attempting to climb into the upper echelons of New York society. He owns the Benedick building and possesses a shrewd, calculating nature that initially offends the established elite. He recognizes Miss Lily Bart's elegance and views her as the ideal social asset to legitimize his status.

Mrs. Julia Peniston is a wealthy, traditional widow descended from old New York society. She provides her niece with a respectable home but offers no fixed allowance or active assistance in finding a husband. She values passive conformity and dreads emotional scenes or any hint of scandal.

A formidable society hostess, Mrs. Judy Trenor uses her husband's vast wealth to outshine her rivals in entertaining. She treats her guests with calculated utility, expecting those with fewer resources to perform social drudgery or play bridge in exchange for her hospitality.

Sweaty, massive, and heavily jeweled, Mr. Gus Trenor finances his wife's elaborate parties. Motivated primarily by his physical appetites, he eagerly offers to help Miss Lily Bart invest her small funds in the stock market, though his financial assistance comes with unspoken expectations of personal intimacy.

Mrs. Bertha Dorset is a small, pretty, and manipulative society woman. Protected by her husband's immense wealth, she engages in reckless affairs while demanding total social compliance from her peers. She views Miss Lily Bart as a convenient distraction for her husband but also as a dangerous rival.

A shy, unimaginative young bachelor with a reddish beard, Mr. Percy Bryce recently inherited millions from his uncle. His mother raised him to be intensely suspicious and prudent. He is highly protective of his Americana book collection and represents the perfect, if boring, solution to Miss Lily Bart's financial woes.

Miss Gerty Farish is Selden's cousin, a modest and philanthropic young woman who happily lives within her limited means. She engages in charity work and possesses a sincere, forgiving nature. She deeply admires Miss Lily Bart, viewing her with an innocent loyalty that contrasts sharply with the competitive maneuvers of their wealthier peers.

The late mother of Miss Lily Bart, she was a woman who demanded a lavish lifestyle regardless of her husband's actual income. Following their financial ruin, she instilled in her daughter the belief that beauty must be used as currency to acquire a wealthy husband.

Miss Lily Bart's late father, he spent his life working relentlessly to finance his wife's extravagant demands. His eventual financial ruin and subsequent death left his family in precarious circumstances, shaping his daughter's profound fear of poverty.

Miss Grace Stepney is a poorer, unmarried relative who spends her time in boarding houses and relies on the favor of Mrs. Julia Peniston. Lacking the beauty and charm of her younger relative, she secures her position by acting as an indispensable domestic advisor and conduit of social gossip.

Gloomy and irritable, Mr. George Dorset suffers from chronic indigestion and a creeping suspicion of his wife's infidelities. He frequently complains about his circumstances but relies on the kindness of women like Miss Lily Bart to humor his miserable moods.

A striking divorcée, Mrs. Carry Fisher maintains her lifestyle by acting as a social guide for newly wealthy families trying to break into high society. She is pragmatic and resourceful, understanding exactly how the social economy functions and frequently borrowing money from the husbands of her friends.

A young man of the upper class who accumulated heavy debts and now seeks to solve his financial problems through an advantageous marriage. He actively courts an heiress, successfully executing the exact social strategy his cousin struggles to complete.

A remarkably wealthy but notably dull family consisting of Mrs. Maria Van Osburgh, her daughters Gwen and Evie, and her son Freddy. Their immense fortune guarantees their high standing in society, making the children prime targets for those seeking financial security through marriage.

An aspiring poet who squanders his literary talents by trying to keep pace with the affluent elite. He develops an expensive taste for bridge and high society, falling deeply into debt and relying on the patronage of wealthy women to maintain his lifestyle.

A char-woman whose hard life is evident in her pockmarked face and reddened hands. She works in the buildings of the elite and uses the secrets she sweeps up from their floors to survive, recognizing the value of the discarded papers she finds.

A nouveau riche couple utilizing their vast Wall Street fortune to purchase social prominence. Mrs. Bry possesses boundless ambition and hires social guides to arrange elaborate entertainments, hoping to capture the attention of the established elite.

A wealthy, fun-loving couple whose social set includes actresses and artists rather than old-money aristocrats. They represent a slightly lower, noisier tier of society that established figures typically avoid, though their luxurious lifestyle remains attractive.

A woman of vague Western origins whose wealth stems from multiple divorces. She lives in a chaotic, theatrical environment surrounded by manicurists and advisors, entirely separate from the civic obligations and quiet refinement of old New York society.

A working-class woman who previously suffered from illness and overwork. Having benefited from charitable assistance, she slowly builds a stable, loving life for herself. She demonstrates resilience outside the confines of high society.