Between the Acts

Main Characters and Their Development

• Isa Oliver - wife of Giles, mother of two children. She feels unhappy in her marriage and seeks solace in her fantasies and poetry. Isa experiences an inner conflict between her duties and personal desires.
• Giles Oliver - Isa's husband, a successful businessman. He is disillusioned with the political situation and feels tension in his relationship with his wife. Giles embodies the conflict between personal ambitions and family responsibilities.
• Miss La Trobe - the eccentric director of the play being staged throughout the book. She strives to express her ideas through art, despite difficulties and misunderstanding from the audience. Miss La Trobe symbolizes the creative spirit and the struggle for self-expression.
• Lucy Swithin - Giles's aunt, an elderly woman with a philosophical outlook on life. She embodies wisdom and calm, observing events from a distance and contemplating the eternal questions of existence.
• Bart Oliver - Isa and Giles's son, a young boy who symbolizes the future and hope. His innocence and curiosity contrast with the adult's problems.