# Ellen Thatcher — Manhattan Transfer character guide > Ellen Thatcher in Manhattan Transfer by John Dos Passos. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Ellen, little Ellen, Ellie, Nellie, Elaine, God Nellie, little Elaine, Opposite Ellen **First appearance:** 0000-section-i ## Who they are An ambitious actress and Jimmy's love interest, embodying the city's glittering yet hollow promise. ## Relationships ### [George Baldwin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/george_baldwin) _romantic_ A complex, on-and-off romantic and professional entanglement where George is persistently infatuated with Ellen, who remains ambivalent and uses him for advancement. ### [Stan Emery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/stan_emery) _romantic_ A passionate but destructive love affair marked by alcoholism, emotional volatility, and eventual tragedy. ### [Jimmy Herf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/jimmy_herf) _friendship_ Childhood friends who drift apart as adults, with Ellen pursuing social success while Jimmy seeks meaning, creating a bittersweet, nostalgic bond. ### [Cassandra Wilkins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/cassandra_wilkins) _social_ Fellow social climbers and acquaintances in the New York theater and nightlife scene, sharing a competitive friendship. ### [Ed Thatcher](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/ed_thatcher) _family_ Father and daughter with a strained relationship, as Ed's traditional values clash with Ellen's ambitious independence. ### [Harry Goldweiser](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/harry_goldweiser) _professional_ A theatrical producer who helps Ellen's career, but their relationship is transactional and exploitative. ### [Gus McNiel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/gus_mcniel) _romantic_ A brief, passionate affair that ends when Gus is arrested, highlighting Ellen's pattern of seeking excitement through dangerous men. ### [George Baldwin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/george_baldwin) _romantic_ A complex, on-and-off romantic and professional entanglement where George is persistently infatuated with Ellen, who remains ambivalent and uses him for advancement. ### [George Baldwin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/george_baldwin) _romantic_ A complex, on-and-off romantic and professional entanglement where George is persistently infatuated with Ellen, who remains ambivalent and uses him for advancement. ### [Stan Emery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/stan_emery) _romantic_ A passionate but destructive love affair marked by alcoholism, emotional volatility, and eventual tragedy. ### [Jimmy Herf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/jimmy_herf) _friendship_ Childhood friends who drift apart as adults, with Ellen pursuing social success while Jimmy seeks meaning, creating a bittersweet, nostalgic bond. ### [Stan Emery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/stan_emery) _romantic_ A passionate but destructive love affair marked by alcoholism, emotional volatility, and eventual tragedy. ## In the story ### [Section I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/section-i) Introduced as a young woman navigating the social and professional currents of the city. ### [I: Ferryslip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/i-ferryslip) Born in this chapter, named after her grandmother, mentioned as a newborn in the hospital. ### [II: Metropolis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/ii-metropolis) Appears briefly as a child, wanting to be a little boy, and is described with coppery curls. ### [III: Dollars](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/iii-dollars) Asks her father why they aren't rich, expresses fear of a stranger, and wonders about talking to people on the street. ### [Section II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/section-ii) Continues her complex social and romantic entanglements. ### [I: Great Lady on a White Horse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/i-great-lady-on-a-white-horse) Now Elaine Oglethorpe; an actress meeting with George Baldwin and later Stan Emery. ### [II: Longlegged Jack of the Isthmus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/ii-longlegged-jack-of-the-isthmus) Returns to her boarding house after a night out, feeling a mix of elation and disgust. ### [III: Nine Days' Wonder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/iii-nine-days-wonder) Visits her father Ed in Passaic, brings him roses, and announces her plan to divorce Jojo with George Baldwin's help. ### [IV: Fire Engine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/iv-fire-engine) Feels trapped by Harry Goldweiser's advances and later expresses frustration with the artificiality of her acting role. ### [V: Went to the Animals’ Fair](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/v-went-to-the-animals-fair) Dines with Baldwin, later visits the murder cottage with Herf, and reflects on the war news. ### [VI: Five Statutory Questions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/vi-five-statutory-questions) Dines and dances with Harry Goldweiser, is shocked by Stan Emery's sudden marriage, and receives a marriage proposal from Goldweiser. ### [VIII: One More River to Jordan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/viii-one-more-river-to-jordan) Pregnant with Stan's child, she feels trapped and disillusioned, seeking connection with Jimmy Herf. ### [Section III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/section-iii) Ellen Thatcher continues to navigate her relationships and societal expectations, embodying the tension between personal desire and social convention. ### [II: Nickelodeon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/ii-nickelodeon) Ellen, now married to Jimmy, is distant and reserved during dinner, having taken a job to support them, which Jimmy resents. ### [III: Revolving Doors](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/iii-revolving-doors) Discusses moving to separate rooms with Jimmy, and later receives his drunken late-night visit. ### [V: The Burden of Nineveh](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/chapters/v-the-burden-of-nineveh) Rides in a taxi after work, exhausted and tense, late for an appointment; her divorce and engagement to Baldwin are mentioned. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters/ellen_thatcher - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/manhattan_transfer_se/characters