# Yankel — The Peasants character guide

> Yankel in The Peasants by Władysław Reymont.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Yankel

**First appearance:** 0003-i

## Snapshot

The Jewish tavern keeper whose barroom becomes the village's unofficial parliament, where vodka loosens tongues and every grievance against squire and official gets aired.

## Who they are

Yankel runs the one establishment in Lipce where peasants, the Voyt, and passing officials all cross paths, making his tavern the natural stage for the novel's simmering conflicts. He profits from the same villagers whose land and labor are being squeezed, a position that breeds both dependence and quiet resentment. When the men gather to plot resistance or the authorities come sniffing for informants, it is Yankel's counter that holds the village's pulse.

## In the story

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_peasants_se/chapters/iv)

Tavern keeper; deals with Kuba's debt and arranges a gun trade.

### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_peasants_se/chapters/xii)

The Jew who stops by, drinks to the couple's health, and leaves quietly to retrieve his gun.

### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_peasants_se/chapters/ii)

Tavern keeper who offers Hanka credit and inquires about Antek, hinting at the affair.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_peasants_se/characters/yankel
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_peasants_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_peasants_se/characters