Characters in The Uprising

Rebreanu's The Uprising is such a rich novel. I'm 300 pages into it, or about 100 pages from the end (depending on which view one takes), and each night something else surprises me. By "something," I am referring to Rebreanu's writing style or elements of the story.

One remarkable detail is how many characters Rebreanu develops in this novel. Perhaps because he desires to show that the historical uprising was a movement of the people, Rebreanu pays particular attention to the lives of many different types of people: there are the boyars and the peasants, the reporters and the politicians, the artistocrats and the wanna-be's. Rather than give a unilateral perspective on the revolt, Rebreanu provides multiple points of view, at the same time endearing the readers to opposing characters. As readers, we shake our fists at the boyars when they trample over the peasants; however, we furrow our eyebrows at the villagers' pillaging, wondering whether such extreme actions are ever justified. How can Rebreanu get the reader to feel for both camps, when they're at each other's throats? Through masterful characterization. And this is not a simple task either, for The Uprising has more characters than other Rebreanu

For my sanity (and to have a quick-reference in the future), I've included below a list of the most important characters in the book. ("Important" is here defined as appearing in the novel numerus times and receiving particular attention from the author, as in several paragraphs devoted to the development of the character.)

Grigore (Grigorita) Iuga
Miron Iuga (Grigorita's father)
Nadina Iuga (Grigorita's wife)
Gogu Ionescu (Nadina's brother and Titu's brother-in-law; also deputy)
Eugenia Ionescu (Gogu's wife)
Raul Brumaru (Nadina's male "companion")
Rudolf (Nadina's chauffeur)

Victor Predeleanu (Grigorita's friend)
Tecla Predeleanu (wife)
Olga Predeleanu (sister-in-law)

Titu Herdelea
Lenuta Alexandrescu (Titu's landlady)
Jenica (Lenuta's lover)
Mimi (Lenuta's daughter)
Tantza (Jenica's sister; Titu's lover)
Marioara (Titu's first object of affection, before Tantza)
Rosu (Drapelul's chief editor)
Deliceanu (Titu's supervisor at Drapelul)


Andrei Boerescu (Arges's prefect)
Baloleanu (Arges's new prefect)
Major Tanasescu (emergency army comander)
General Dardalat (boyar)
Colonel Stefanescu (boyar)
Ion Pravila (mayor)
Silvestru Boiangiu (seargent)
Zamfir Chelaru (watchman)
Chirita Dumitrescu (clerk)
Birzotescu (tax collector)
Cosma Buruiana (leaseholder)
Platamonu (leaseholder)
Aristide Platamonu (son)
Isbasescu (Iuga's book keeper)
Ichim (Iuga's servant)

Petre Petre (young villager with initiative; in love with Marioara)
Smaranda Petre (mother)
Father Nicodim (priest)
Filip Ilioasa (priest's son-in-law)
Ion Dragos (school teacher)
Florica Dragos (Ion's wife)
Nicolae (brother; in love with Gherghina)
Lupu Chiritoiu (oldest villager)
Teodor Stramnu (widower with 3 children)
Pantelimon Vaduva (young villager who goes in the army; in love with Domnica)
Ignat Cercel (trouble maker)
Cristea Busuioc (innkeeper)
Melinte Heruvimu (villager with bedridden wife and three sick kids)
Serafim Mogos (villager)
Marin Stan
Leonte Orbisor
Trifon Guju
Luca Talaba
Vasile Zidaru
Pavel Tunsu (mother Ioana's son-in-law)
Matei Dulman
Marin Stan
Mother Ioana (villager who swears all the time; Nicu, her grandson, almost gets run over by a car)
Anghelina Butuc (widow)
Gherghina (Chirila's daughter; Nicolae Dragos's object of affection; raped by Aristide)

Whew... trying to track down all those names and relationships was surprisingly tiring. I'll check in with more later.