A character list from Vargas Llosa's "Conversation in the Cathedral"
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| Santiago Zavalita | Our protagonist: AKA, Superbrain, Skinny (family nicknames) |
| Ambrosio | Our main interlocutor, who worked for the protagonist's family a couple decades before |
| Amalia | Santiago's family maid, later at Hortensia's, beset & eventually wedded by Ambrosio |
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| Santiago's family | |
| Don Fermin Zavalita | Santiago's father, a connected right-wing oligarchic type |
| Senora Zoila | Santiago's mother |
| Sparky | Elder brother of Santiago. Not sure what his real name is. Later, marries Cary. |
| Tete | Santiago's sister |
| Popeye / Freckle-Face | Hangs around the family house, interested in Tete |
| Ana / Anita | Nurse caring for Santiago, goes on to marry him |
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| Trifulcio, AKA Trinidad | Fathers a miscarried child by Amalia - gets in trouble with the law, is disappeared |
| Don Hilario Morales | Ambrosio's cheating business partner, first recommended as uncle of Ludovico's |
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| At the University | |
| Aida | Santiago's revolutionary crush at the university |
| Jacobo | Santiago's revolutionary friend at univ., & rival for Aida |
| Cahuide | Org name of the socialists. Or their newspaper? |
| Saldivar | Communist revolutionaries |
| Ochoa | Communist revolutionaries |
| Huaman | Communist revolutionaries |
| Hector | Communist revolutionaries |
| Washington | Communist revolutionaries |
| Matias | Communist revolutionaries |
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| At the Newspaper | |
| Carlitos | Alcoholic newspaperman who works/speaks with Santiago |
| Clodomiro | Uncle to Santiago, gets him a newspaper job after S. is busted for being a socialist |
| Norwin | Writer at the paper, friend of Santiago |
| Arispe | The editor (AKA Mr. Vallejo? or is that someone else?) |
| Becerrita | Crime reporter, hired Santiago initially |
| Perquito | Photographer |
| Dario | Assisting reporter |
| Caruso Tallio | Bullied (by admin.) newspaperman who fires Carlitos from job, way-back-when |
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| Prostitutes | |
| Senora Carlotta Hortensia | Amalia's new employer, mistress to Don Cayo Bermudez |
| Queta | Lesbian girlfriend of Carlotta |
| Gertrudis Lama | Friend of Amalia |
| Simula | Coworker of Amalia |
| Ivonne | A French madam who hooks up Bermudez with women, like Queta |
| Robertito | Bouncer at Ivonne's nightclub |
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| Political Operatives | |
| Odria | Right-wing head of state in Peru |
| Bustamante | Former APRA (left-wing) leader of Peru, overthrown by Odria |
| Arequipans | The center-left party out of power |
| The Vulture | Wealthy provincial loan shark, long passed on |
| Don Cayo Bermudez | The Vulture's son, runs away with the milk woman's daughter but becomes Odira junta head of security |
| Tumula | The milk woman, whose daughter marries Bermudez back home in the country |
| Colonel Espina AKA the Uplander | Recruits Bermudez to the government, later falls from favor |
| Senator Landa | Administration loyalist, joins coup |
| Major Paredes | Adjutant to Cayo (and, much later, succeeds him) |
| Col. Idiaquez | Administration loyalist |
| Lozano | Fascist organizer / lieutenant |
| Tomasa | Odria administration loyalists |
| Don Emilio Arevalo | Odria administration loyalists |
| Mr. Zavala | Odria administration loyalists |
| Dr. Ferro | Odria administration loyalists |
| Dr. Alcibiades | Odria administration loyalists |
| Ludovico | Thug, works with Ambrosio for Bermudez |
| Hipolito | with Ludovico, a factotum |
| Dr. Lama | Administration loyalist, minister for foreign relations |
| Dr. Lozano Arbalez | Administration loyalist (with Molina) |
| Pereda | Peasant organizer being leaned-on by Ludovico & Ambrosio |
| Gimpy Meleqias | An incompetent informant |
| Fleafoot Heredia | Informant? |
| Don Remigio Saldivar | Fixers in the provinces helping the administration (I think) |
| Dep. Azpilcueta | Fixers in the provinces helping the administration (I think) |
| Gen. Alvarado | Coalition friendly, ousts Don Cayo Bermudez |
| Ferro | A conspirator with the coalition against Odria |
