The Goldfinch Characters

Toddy is the youngest of the Barbour children. As a young adult, he attends Georgetown and comically informs Theo that living with him as a child inspired him to devote his life to helping “disadvantaged” children.

Margaret is Welty’s half-sister and Pippa’s aunt. Even though Margaret was not on speaking terms with either Welty or Pippa’s mother Juliet before they died, she nonetheless assumes guardianship of Pippa. A wealthy woman who lives in Texas, Margaret takes Pippa to live with her there.

Mr. Blackwell was Welty, Margaret, and Juliet’s father.

Juliet was Pippa’s mother. She died of cancer when Pippa was a child.

José is another of the doormen in Theo’s old building, who is very kind to Theo.

Goldie is one of the doormen in the building where Theo lives with Audrey. He loves Theo, and is very kind to him.

Hadley is a girl in Theo and Boris’ school in Las Vegas. She is a good student who is on the honor roll.

Bracegirdle is Audrey’s lawyer, who manages the money she leaves behind for Theo in her will. He is kind to Theo and protects him from Larry’s financial predation.

Mrs. DeFrees is an elderly woman who is one of Hobie’s closest friends. Theo wonders if there’s a romantic element to their relationship, but he never finds out for sure.

Grisha is a Russian Jewish man who does moving and storage work for Hobie.

Jerome is Theo’s drug dealer who sells him prescription opiates.

Carol Lombard is a woman Theo has an affair with. She is engaged to another man.

Everett is Pippa’s English boyfriend. They live together in London, where Everett works as a music librarian. Theo finds him unbearable, although it is not clear whether this has any basis or whether it is just because Theo is in love with Pippa.

Myriam is Boris’s “right hand man” in the shady business he runs.

Gyuri is Boris’s driver and friend.

Horst is a wealthy German heroin addict who works in the art underworld. He is friends with Boris and also with Sacha, who stole The Goldfinch from Boris. Because Sacha is the brother of Horst’s girlfriend Ulrika, Boris never discovers where his loyalties actually lie.

Ulrika is Horst’s girlfriend and Sacha’s sister. Boris doesn’t like her.

Emily is Kitsey’s roommate.

Anne is Kitsey’s godmother. She arranges Kitsey and Theo’s engagement party even though she is so disapproving of Theo she cannot stand to look at him.

Havistock Irving is a busybody, gossip, and associate of Lucius Reeve, who was also involved in Reeve’s scheme of stealing from the elderly.

Victor is a friend and criminal associate of Boris’s. Victor is his real name; Cherry is his nickname.

Shirley Temple is another associate of Boris’s. He gets his nickname from his angelic face and curly hair.

Martin is an American who works for Horst. Theo kills him during the shootout in the Amsterdam parking garage.

Frits also works for Horst. Boris kills him during the shootout in the Amsterdam car park.

Dorothy is Theo’s step-grandmother on Larry’s side. She lives in Maryland, and is not close with either Larry or Theo.

Bob is Theo’s paternal grandfather. He is not close with either Theo or Larry.

Dave is the psychiatrist Theo sees following Audrey’s death.

Enrique is one of the social workers Theo is assigned following Audrey’s death.