The Things We Never Say Characters

A high school history teacher who believes no one is superior to anyone else and defends students against cruelty. For months he secretly plans his own death by drowning, but after nearly drowning and being rescued he realizes he does not want to die.

Arc: He carries the secret that Reginald MacDonald is Rob's biological father and lies to Evie by omission, then gradually declines, is hospitalized, and dies of a heart attack during a heat wave.

• Evie — his wife
• Rob Dam — his son, though Rob's biological father is Reginald MacDonald
• Flossie MacDonald — close friend
• Rhonda Lazarre — student he defends and mentors
• Danny Marino — student he rebukes and later helps
• Anne Merrill — colleague and friend
• Ken Moynihan — friend who saved his life
• Maria — his dead sister
• Arthur Dam — his father
• Mary O'Reilly — his mother
• Reginald MacDonald — old friend who is Rob's biological father
• Tom — plumber who confides in him

Artie's wife, a family therapist who takes her work seriously and believes cocktail parties are not the place for private grief. She is practical and often dismissive of Artie's softness, and she compartmentalizes her emotions.

Arc: She is frightened when Artie nearly drowns, suspects Rachel of kleptomania, and plans a London surprise; after Artie's death she finds Reginald's letter and is devastated.

• Artie Dam — her husband
• Rob Dam — their son
• Francesca — her daughter-in-law, whom she loves
• Rachel — woman she suspects of stealing
• Reginald MacDonald — the man Artie believes she had an affair with
• Flossie MacDonald — old friend

Artie and Evie's son, a software engineer who became quiet after a car crash killed his girlfriend Heather. He is married to Francesca, later separates from her, meets Rachel, and learns from a deathbed letter and DNA test that Reginald MacDonald is his biological father.

Arc: He reconnects with Artie, makes him promise not to kill himself, and later moves to Brussels; at Artie's funeral he reassures Danny that Artie died of a heart attack.

• Artie Dam — the father who raised him
• Evie — his mother
• Francesca — his wife
• Rachel — the new woman he meets and later breaks up with
• Heather Morrison — his girlfriend killed in the car crash
• Reginald MacDonald — his biological father according to the letter and DNA test

Artie's close friend who moves to Ohio after the death of her husband Reginald. She is often drunk, emotionally direct, and tells Artie she loves him; after his near-drowning she says if he dies she will have to die.

Arc: She returns for a dinner with Artie, confesses her past affair with Ed Merrill and her daughter's hatred, and remains friendly; Artie realizes he no longer loves her.

• Artie Dam — dear friend
• Reginald MacDonald — her late husband
• Sophie — her daughter
• Ed Merrill — the man she had an affair with

Flossie's late husband, remembered as a man who rolled his eyes at Artie and who told Sophie about Flossie's affair. From his deathbed he wrote a letter claiming to be Rob's biological father and left a DNA sample.

Arc: He appears only in memory and through the posthumous letter; his claim changes Artie's understanding of his family.

• Flossie MacDonald — his wife
• Rob Dam — his apparent biological son
• Sophie — his daughter
• Evie — the woman Artie believes he had an affair with

Rob's wife, a concert pianist who plays in Europe and is nine years older than Rob. She is kind to Artie and Evie and says she is looking for God when she plays.

Arc: She separates from Rob but stays close, suffers a miscarriage, and plays Artie's composition at his funeral.

• Rob Dam — her husband
• Artie Dam — her father-in-law
• Evie — her mother-in-law

A shy student who is mocked by Danny Marino and defended by Artie. She tells Artie she has 'the sads,' later asks if he saw God after his near-drowning, and decides to become a minister.

Arc: She privately suffers over her mother's behavior, treasures the pillowcase Artie gives her, and attends his funeral with Danny.

• Artie Dam — her teacher
• Danny Marino — classmate who mocks her

A student who mocks Rhonda, writes 'FUCK YO' on a wall, and hides a love of Shakespeare. His home life is unstable, and he thinks 'I hate everyone' and wishes he were dead.

Arc: Artie helps him erase graffiti and urges him to consider teaching Shakespeare; he later visits Artie and attends his funeral.

• Artie Dam — his teacher
• Tom — his father
• Rhonda Lazarre — classmate he once mocked
• Anne Merrill — his teacher

Artie's colleague, also written as Merritt in the notes, who co-taught with him and realizes she loves him after his near-drowning. Her marriage to Ed has been unhappy for years.

Arc: She misses Artie as he withdraws, and in his later years she visits him and walks with him on Revere Beach.

• Artie Dam — colleague and friend she loves
• Ed Merrill — her husband
• Danny Marino — her student

The man who rescues Artie from the water and becomes his friend. He keeps Artie's secret about Rob's paternity and knows Heather Morrison's family.

Arc: He remains a steady companion during Artie's decline and speaks to Heather Morrison's father at the funeral.

• Artie Dam — friend he saved
• Lucille — his wife

A social worker at a Boston hospital whom Rob meets after separating from Francesca. Evie suspects her of kleptomania after small objects go missing.

Arc: Rob breaks up with her at a diner after she angrily denies taking a friend's poetry book.

• Rob Dam — the new woman he meets and later breaks up with
• Evie — host whose boxes she steals
• Artie Dam — host

A plumber who fixes Artie's faucet and confesses that his wife is having an affair. He is Danny Marino's father and took the job because he was going crazy alone in the house.

Arc: No further arc; his home situation contributes to Danny's distress.

• Artie Dam — the homeowner and his son's teacher
• Danny Marino — his son

Rob's girlfriend who was killed in a car crash ten years earlier. Her family sued Artie and Evie, and the crash still shames Rob.

Arc: She is dead before the story begins; Rob later names 'Heather' as the worst thing he ever did.

• Rob Dam — her boyfriend
• Artie Dam — her family sued him and Evie
• Evie — her family sued her and Artie

Artie's dead sister, remembered as a sweet girl who was the target of their mother's violence and who secretly ate confectionary sugar in the cellar. She died in the hospital after a stillbirth and brain aneurysm.

Arc: She exists only in memory; Artie often returns to her craving for sweetness.

• Artie Dam — her brother
• Mary O'Reilly — her mother
• Arthur Dam — her father
• John Flaherty — her husband

The high school principal who asks Artie to consider assigning Confederate soldiers and predicts the election. He says he is thinking of leaving his job.

Arc: He shoots himself during the winter; his death is later cited as one of the blows weighing on Artie.

• Artie Dam — his principal
• Patricia Davenport — party guest he greets

A fellow teacher who asks Artie about sailing and sits with him at the soccer game. He later tells Artie not to let the president destroy them and eventually retires.

Arc: His retirement depresses Artie.

• Artie Dam — colleague
• Anne Merrill — colleague

A student who is kicked out of Artie's class for a homophobic remark and then posts ugly things on social media. He apologizes reluctantly at a parent meeting, but has written an essay calling his father his hero.

Arc: Artie reads his first-day essay and sees the lonely boy behind the insolence.

• Artie Dam — his teacher

Flossie's daughter, who as a child says she can't stand Rob and later yells about what her father said. She has never forgiven Flossie for the affair with Ed Merrill.

Arc: She remains hostile to her mother, who says Sophie is looking for a husband.

• Flossie MacDonald — her mother
• Reginald MacDonald — her father
• Rob Dam — the boy she couldn't stand

Artie's mother, from a poor Irish family, who was committed to a mental institution twice. She was violent toward Maria and once told Artie that some mothers drowned their children.

Arc: She exists only in Artie's memories.

• Artie Dam — her son
• Arthur Dam — her husband
• Maria — her daughter

Artie's father, an electrician, carpenter, repairman, and super who married Mary O'Reilly and once told young Artie he would never have a boat. He gave Artie advice about breaking up with a girl.

Arc: He exists only in memory; later in life Artie wishes he had known him better.

• Mary O'Reilly — his wife
• Artie Dam — his son
• Maria — his daughter

Owner of a men's clothing store who catches Artie shoplifting, checks his record, sees his pain, and lets him go. He was known for visiting obese customers at home to ensure their clothes fit.

Arc: Artie later learns of his death and tells his class the story.

• Artie Dam — shopkeeper who caught and released him

A neighbor whom Artie cannot stand; he waves to Artie from beside his house and hosts a Christmas party with his second wife Ashley.

Arc: No significant arc; his ex-wife Evelyn attempts suicide.

• Ashley Peabody — his second wife
• Evelyn Peabody — his ex-wife
• Davis Peabody — his son
• Artie Dam — neighbor

Endicott's first wife, who does not appear; Evie reports she attempted suicide with Klonopin and whiskey and is now in a psychiatric facility.

Arc: Her suicide attempt is reported and affects Artie.

• Endicott Peabody — her ex-husband
• Davis Peabody — her son

Endicott's son, who talks with Artie at the Christmas party and says he teaches English at Phillips Academy Andover. He says his mother Evelyn is in Florida and doing well.

Arc: No significant arc.

• Endicott Peabody — his father
• Evelyn Peabody — his mother

Endicott's second wife, who co-hosts the Christmas party, greets guests, takes coats, and wears a red dress.

Arc: No significant arc.

• Endicott Peabody — her husband

Anne Merrill's husband, who had an affair twenty years ago and now seems distracted again. He is the man with whom Flossie had an affair.

Arc: No significant arc; his behavior worries Anne.

• Anne Merrill — his wife
• Flossie MacDonald — the woman he had an affair with

A student who responds to the Civil War topic with 'Whoa, Damn-dam' and later asks Artie about the election, free will, and swearing. He does not know what he wants to do with his life.

Arc: No significant arc; appears in classroom exchanges.

• Artie Dam — his teacher

A student who questions the cellphone rule and asks why the Jews did not revolt during the Holocaust. She wants to be a pediatric nurse and predicts brown-skinned immigrants will be targeted.

Arc: No significant arc; appears in class discussions.

• Artie Dam — her teacher
• Jacob Aaronson — her classmate

A student who reveals the soccer fight began over an antisemitic remark and wants to be a heart surgeon because doctors saved his father's life.

Arc: No significant arc; appears in class discussions.

• Artie Dam — his teacher
• Tamera — his classmate

Owner of Spud's Bar and Grille, who welcomes Artie and Flossie and has a visible hole in his head from an old accident.

Arc: No significant arc.

• Artie Dam — friend and restaurant owner
• Flossie MacDonald — customer he welcomes

Maria's husband, a firefighter who took turns with Artie sitting by Maria's hospital bedside.

Arc: No significant arc; appears only in memory.

• Maria — his wife
• Artie Dam — his brother-in-law

Artie's childhood neighbor who made dinner for Artie and Maria when their mother was institutionalized and told Artie his mother could not help the way she was.

Arc: No significant arc; appears only in memory.

• Artie Dam — child next door
• Maria — child next door

Artie's college girlfriend from Jamaica Plain; she went to Revere Beach with him and wept when he broke up with her.

Arc: No significant arc; appears only in memory.

• Artie Dam — her college boyfriend

Artie's junior high social studies teacher who gave him extra reading and told him he had a real future.

Arc: No significant arc; his influence appears when Artie passes on the idea of taking oneself seriously.

• Artie Dam — his former student

The soccer coach who runs over to break up the fight and calls a timeout after anti-Semitic yells come from the stands.

Arc: No significant arc.

A party guest at the Merrills' party who is greeted by Hoover Lakeland.

Arc: No significant arc.

• Hoover Lakeland — greets her at the party

Ken Moynihan's wife, who does not appear; she is a supporter of the incoming president.

Arc: No significant arc.

• Ken Moynihan — her husband