# Archie Rowan — Exiles character guide

> Archie Rowan in Exiles by James Joyce.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Master Archie, Archie Addio, Archie Eleven, Archie Knives, Archibald Hamilton Rowan, Hamilton Rowan

**First appearance:** 0000-dramatis-personae

## Snapshot

Richard and Bertha's young son, named for a rebel, he moves through the adults' charged rooms with a child's plain sight and unsettling questions.

## Who they are

Archie Rowan is old enough to notice what the grown-ups hide and young enough to say it aloud, reporting to his father who came to the house and what was said. His name carries a patriot's legacy, and his parents' friends treat him as a small mirror of Richard's choices. In a play about what children inherit from their parents' freedoms, his presence keeps the stakes from staying merely intellectual.

## Relationships

### [Richard Rowan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters/richard_rowan)

_family_

Father and son with a loving but distant relationship, as Richard is often preoccupied with his own intellectual and emotional turmoil.

### [Bertha Rowan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters/bertha_rowan)

_family_

Mother and son with a warm, protective bond; Archie is a source of comfort and normalcy for Bertha.

### [Beatrice Justice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters/beatrice_justice)

_social_

A friendly, innocent acquaintance; Archie interacts with Beatrice as a kind adult in his life.

### [Robert Hand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters/robert_hand)

_social_

A casual, polite relationship; Archie sees Robert as a family friend.

### [Brigid](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters/brigid)

_social_

A friendly, child-servant relationship; Archie interacts with Brigid as a household helper.

### [Mrs. Rowan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters/mrs_rowan)

_family_

Grandmother and grandson with a formal, infrequent connection.

## In the story

### [Dramatis Personae](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/chapters/dramatis-personae)

Introduced as the eight-year-old son of Richard and Bertha.

### [First Act](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/chapters/first-act)

Wants to avoid his piano lesson, goes with Beatrice for a short lesson.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters/archie_rowan
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/exiles_se/characters