Characters

The most important characters in “Breakfast” by John Steinbeck are the narrator, the two men, and the young girl the narrator meets. The physical similarities between the two men suggest that they might be father and son, while the young woman could be the younger man’s wife.

The narrator’s encounter with three strangers, who could be a family of migrant workers, has left a powerful impression on him, possibly because he was lonely, and the breakfast he shared with them provided him with a sense of belonging. The old man, the young man, and the woman are poor, yet content with the little they have, which allows them to be generous and kind towards the narrator. The narrator and the three strangers do not know each other, and their interactions are very brief. However, the narrator clearly considers the meeting a significant event in his life.

You can read a full description of the narrator and the two men in the following pages.