Pale Horse, Pale Rider Character Analysis

Miranda

Miranda is the protagonist and narrator of the story (though the text switches between her first-person point of view and a third-person perspective). She is 24 years old and works as a drama critic at… read analysis of Miranda

Adam Barclay

Adam is Miranda’s love interest. He is a 24-year-old soldier during World War I. Miranda describes Adam as “all olive and tan and tawny, hay colored and sand colored from hair to boots.” He… read analysis of Adam Barclay

Mary Townsend (Towney)

Miranda’s friend from work. She is the newspaper’s Society Editor and writes a column called “Ye Towne Gossyp.” Towney and Miranda have a lot in common. Miranda reveals that she and Towney used to… read analysis of Mary Townsend (Towney)

Lusk Committeemen

Two men who confront Miranda at work in the beginning of the story. Porter implies that they were hired temporarily by the government to further the war effort by pushing citizens to buy bonds. The… read analysis of Lusk Committeemen

Chuck Rouncivale

Chuck is the sports reporter at the paper. Miranda and Towney like Chuck because he is frank and funny. Chuck was assigned to write for sports because he’s a man, though he admits to Miranda… read analysis of Chuck Rouncivale

Dr. Hildesheim

A doctor who treats Miranda when she is ill. He is used to treating influenza patients and is unfazed by Miranda’s condition. Miranda finds his demeanor to be “altogether too merry and flippant.” While in… read analysis of Dr. Hildesheim

Miss Tanner

A nurse who cares for Miranda when she is ill. Like Dr. Hildesheim, Tanner has cared for so many influenza patients that she’s adopted an almost overly-objective, no-nonsense attitude towards the ill. Miranda hallucinates… read analysis of Miss Tanner

Disgruntled Actor

An actor described as a “small man,” about whom Miranda wrote a negative review in the morning paper. Though “he might have been a pretty fellow once,” he’s now dried up and faded and hasn’t… read analysis of Disgruntled Actor

Bond Salesman

Another man temporarily hired by the government to push bonds. He appears before the third act of the show that Miranda and Adam see together. Miranda describes him as “a local dollar-a-year man, now… read analysis of Bond Salesman

Graylie

One of the three horses that appear in Miranda’s dream in the beginning of the story. In her dream, Miranda must borrow one horse to take on a journey to “outrun Death and the… read analysis of Graylie

Minor Characters

Old Man Gibbons

Old Man Gibbons is an editor at the newspaper where Miranda works. He is very particular about grammar, which he gets across to his reporters by shouting.

Bill

The city editor at Miranda’s newspaper. Bill is perpetually angry and an incessant smoker of cigars.

Miss Hobbe

Miranda’s landlady. She is horrified when Miranda falls ill with influenza. She seems somewhat concerned for Miranda, but mostly terrified that the disease will spread to her other tenants.

The Stranger

A man with a “pale face” fixed in “an evil trance” that appears in Miranda’s opening dream. The stranger represents death.