Gervaise
Gervaise Macquart is the protagonist of the novel. She is a rather reasonable woman, at least at the beginning. Gervaise is sure that working is the only way to have everything a person might require to live peacefully and be fairly well off. She is hard working and responsible, she manages even to open her own laundry and her affairs seem to be good enough. But with the flow of time, and under influence of her husband and other relatives and co-called friends Gervaise loses everything. She ends in complete poverty, and dies under the stairs. Her addiction to gluttony and later to alcohol are the reasons for her fall.
Lantier
Lantier is Gervaise’s first lover, but they were not married. They have two sons – Etienne and Claude. The story starts with Lantier abandoning Gervaise and their children. Few years later Lantier appears again and leads Gervaise to debts, as he settles with them and lives on her account. Lantier is a lazy parasite, a sponge, and when he sees that Gervaise will soon lose everything, he forces her to give up her laundry. Lantier spends his life by abandoning one woman after other.
Coupeau
Coupeau is Gervaise's real husband, as they have married due to all the rules. He is a roof engineer, also hard working as Gervaise. But he was seriously injured at work, and few months of laziness followed, which had a great influence on him. He started drinking and ended life in a madhouse because of alcoholic mania.
Nana
Nana is a daughter of Gervaise and Coupeau. From her childhood, she was growing up in an atmosphere of total chaos, and ended up as a prostitute.
Goujet
Goujet is a metal worker, the only one who loves Gervaise , no matters what. It is Goujet who gave Gervaise money so she could open her laundry. Gervaise never managed to return this debt.
