The Theory of the Leisure Class · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen.
Skim names here — open a free preview to see character cards and Character Web beside the page as you read.
the master
major
Also known as The master, their master
The master stands at the top of Veblen's pecuniary order, a figure whose livelihood never depends on competitive struggle and whose occupations — government, war, sports, devout observances — are predatory rather than productive. That sheltered position is double-edged: it preserves archaic traits and predatory aptitudes that the industrial world would otherwise weed out, while the canons of reputability demand conspicuous abstention from anything useful. Watching how this exemption shapes conduct, taste, and survival is the engine of Veblen's early argument about how a ruling stratum reproduces itself.
servants
supporting
Also known as Servants, their
Servants mark the moment leisure becomes fact rather than theory: once chattel slavery and herdsmen appear, the split between laboring and leisure classes hardens into an institution. Their work is the invisible substrate that lets the master abstain, and their presence converts that abstention into evidence of wealth and reputability. In Veblen's arc, they are the quiet mechanism by which vicarious consumption and the display of status get performed day after day.
the priest
minor
Also known as The priest
A figure representing religious observance in the leisure class.
the servant
minor
Also known as The servant
An individual domestic worker within the leisure class household.
the Lord
minor
A title referring to a deity or noble figure in the text.
William Morris
minor
Also known as Morris
Historical figure referenced as an example of aesthetic reform.
