Nils
Nils, the father of the family, is a poor carpenter who upon returning home from work at night discovers the hut is a complete mess and no chores have been take care of. He encounters his wife and they get into a fight. Afterwards, Emma stays in bed, while Nils tries to take care of the unfinished chores and the sick child, as well as be at his wife’s service. He is unappreciated, therefore he does not find joy in being at home with the family.
Emma
Emma, Nils’s wife and the mother of the three children is described as 'a big, strong, and healthy-looking woman, with dark hair and strong, square features.’ She is said to be ‘bad…in the head,’ which she uses as an excuse not to do her chores and make everyone around her servant. She feels misunderstood and unappreciated, but she is the one who does not appreciate her husband.
Nils - sonny
Nils, also cold sonny by his father, is the the eldest child of Nils and Emma. He is awake when his father comes home from work at night and wants to help with the household chores that remained undone by his mother, but he lacks experience, and also he falls ill.
