The Gambler characters

Appears from the start

A young Russian tutor employed by the General and the first-person narrator. Proud, impulsive, and painfully devoted to Polina, he returns to the spa town of Roulettenburg after an errand in Paris. He is fascinated by roulette even before gambling becomes the force that governs his life.

Appears from the start

A widowed Russian general traveling with his household at a German resort. He lives beyond his means, owes money to the Marquis de Grieux, and anxiously awaits news of a wealthy relative whose expected inheritance could restore his position.

Appears from the start

The General's stepdaughter, self-possessed and difficult for Alexei to read. She entrusts him with money to stake at roulette and knows that his infatuation makes him willing to obey reckless commands, though her own financial pressures and feelings remain guarded.

Also known as Mlle Blanche

Appears from the start

A fashionable young Frenchwoman staying near the General's party with her mother. The General openly hopes to marry her, but her interest is closely connected to his expected fortune and to the social standing that money could secure.

Appears from the start

A French marquis and creditor of the General who moves familiarly within the household. Polished and condescending, he has financial leverage over the family and a private understanding with Polina that intensifies Alexei's jealousy.

First appears in chapter 3

A sensible and reserved Englishman whom Alexei knows at Roulettenburg. He is friendly toward Alexei and attentive to Polina, and his calm manner contrasts sharply with the feverish rivalries surrounding the General's party.

First appears in chapter 5

A German nobleman vacationing with his wife. After Alexei deliberately addresses the Baroness with outrageous familiarity, the Baron complains to the General and becomes the immediate cause of Alexei's dismissal from the household.

Also known as Grandmother, Granny

First appears in chapter 8

The General's wealthy, formidable aunt, whose supposed imminent death has made the household count upon an inheritance. Instead she arrives alive in Roulettenburg, traveling in a chair with servants and determined to inspect both her expectant relatives and the famous gaming tables for herself.

First appears in chapter 8

Antonida Vasilyevna's longtime servant, who accompanies her to Roulettenburg and helps manage the practical demands of her forceful tour through the resort.

Appears from the start

The General's widowed relative and the adult woman who manages much of his traveling household. Her absence when Alexei returns leaves Polina carrying more responsibility for the younger children.

First appears in chapter 4

Blanche's watchful mother and companion at the resort. She helps maintain the pair's appearance of respectability while Blanche considers the General as a possible husband.