Dickinson

The greatest American poet who was mostly unpublished during her life.

Also named Emily, Mrs. Dickinson seems to have nothing in common with the daughter to whom she gave her name. She is a deeply serious woman — even more so than her husband — and, despite the family wealth, has dedicated her life to the pursuit of rigorous housekeeping and homemaking.

The chilly patriarch of the Dickinson family, whose father helped found Amherst College. Edward can often be stern, cold and humourless, as a result of his Calvinistic dedication to hard, tangible work and a conservative need to follow and obey rules and proper decorum. He loves Emily — he knows of her gifts, and deep down does want to nurture them, he just doesn’t know how to do so without crushing her.

Tall, handsome, dutiful, the ideal of a strapping young eligible man in Amherst at this time. Austin is beloved by many, but only has eyes for Sue. Austin admires his sister, Emily, even if he doesn’t always understand her — but their biggest source of conflict is Sue, whose love he is not willing to share.

Lavinia is Emily’s sister and the baby of the family in all ways. Lavinia is bubbly, earnest, optimistic, and perhaps not always the sharpest tool in the shed. Essentially: the complete inverse of Emily, though the two love each other very much. Lavinia greatly admires her sister’s talent, though she’s frustrated by her refusal to marry. Despite her vanity, Lavinia is consistently good-natured at heart.

Sue is Emily’s best friend. She exudes a mysterious darkness, but she’s not necessarily cynical — she’s endured true hardship and is dry and mature beyond her years as a result. Deeply intelligent, though she can sometimes read as aloof or unavailable. She loves Emily, and is sporadically hot for Austin, but the intensity of the Dickinsons can at times overwhelm her.