Charles Bukowski
Most of Bukowski's poems are narrated by himself, whether or no they are strictly-speaking autobiographical. He makes himself the narrator of his poems so that he can point fingers without being titled a hypocrite since he paints his characters in no favorable light. Additionally he spares himself no criticism, often portraying himself as a drunk, a slob, a cheater, and a liar. As a character, Bukowski is significant because of his self-condemnation. A man who is so harsh on himself, yet producing no result, must inevitably hold the world in an equally unfavorable light.
The Italian and the Jew
In "i wanted to overthrow the government but all i brought down was somebody's wife" Bukowski writes about spending a lot of time with these two men. As a young man, Bukowski had been caught up in a political movement with the Italian and the Jew. The Italian is a pharmacist who's doing pretty well for himself in the world. And the Jew is a stubborn, old tailor. Listening to their rants of hatred toward the government and its corrupt, wide-reaching machine, Bukowski found himself growing more and more hateful as well. Eventually he abandons his mentors because he really doesn't care about their ideals. They wouldn't stop talking complaining and scheming.
The Japanese Woman
Although the poem is fictitious, Bukowski writes about this woman as if she were really his wife in "The Japanese Wife." Most likely she was the wife of a friend or perhaps one of his many lovers. Bukowski describes her as a passionate, determined woman who threatened him with a knife when he insulted and threatened her. She always got her way through sheer determination and fear, until her death, after which the narrator feels awfully guilty for being unfaithful to her.
Frances Smith
She is featured in "i can't stay in the same room with that woman for five minutes." One of Bukowski's ex-wives and the mother of his daughter, Marina, she is not his favorite person. The two have bad blood between them, but she seems to continually be trying to win his approval after their divorce, according to Bukowski. In the hopes of making him jealous, she talks about her latest lover, Manfred Anderson, who is a poet like Bukowski. She engages Bukowski in a heated argument about the legitimacy of Anderson's work, insisting on his superiority to her ex. In Bukowski's estimation she seems like a woman of extremely low self-esteem.
Marina
Marina is Bukowski's daughter who also appears in "i can't stay in the same room with that woman for five minutes." When she's still a young child, her parents divorced. At 8-years-old she's made to bear witness to the continued bickering of her divorced parents as it becomes increasingly petty and hateful in their absence from one another. She is silent but unsympathetic to Bukowski's criticisms of her mother, doubtless silently loathing him.
Peter
Peter is an up-and-coming novelist friend of Bukowski's. He's nearly two decades younger than Bukowski, so their relationship is closer to a mentorship. Waiting for his initial work to be published, he refuses to quit his day job, which is infuriating to Bukowski. Amidst claims of the unfairness of all the mocking he's subjected to by his friends, Peter still insists that he should be received as the worthy writer that he is. He accuses Bukowski of being his greatest critic. When Bukowski questions their friendship, however, Peter chooses to stay.
Marylou
She works with Bukowski. Apparently she's got a reputation around the office for being easy to bed, but she walks out on the boss for insulting her. After Bukowski decides to quit, he's surprised to run into her in the bar where she tells him that she has also quit. The two hit it off. Always down for a good time, she helps him feel special that night.
