Characters

The main characters of the short story “The Good Samaritan” by Charles Ardai are the detective and Arthur, the killer. The story follows the detective in his attempt to catch Arthur.

The story also mentions three of Arthur’s victims: Harold Sladek, Angela Nicholas, and Michael Casey. Harold Sladek used to have a job and a family but ended up living on the streets. Angela Nicholas was kicked out of her home by her father and ended up becoming a prostitute. Michael Casey is a blind beggar who lives off his disability check. These characters are relevant to the social setting, as they illustrate the condition of homeless people and the circumstances that caused them to become homeless.

You can read a full characterization of the detective and the killer in the following pages.