Ellen Raskin’s 1978 masterpiece is a bit of a trick. You think you’re reading a mystery about a dead millionaire and a massive inheritance, but you're actually reading a character study about sixteen lonely, flawed, and deeply misunderstood people. Honestly, if you try to map out the characters from The Westing Game on a first read, you’re going to get a headache. It’s dense. It’s messy. It’s brilliant.
Samuel W. Westing didn't just pick names out of a hat. He hand-selected a group of "heirs" who were all connected to him—or to each other—in ways they didn't initially realize. The genius of the book isn't the "who-dunit," it's the "who-are-they."
The Heirs You Think You Know (But Don't)
Take Turtle Wexler. Everyone remembers the girl with the braid who kicks shins. On the surface, she’s just a bratty kid with a temper. But look closer. Turtle is the only one who truly understands the nature of the game because she’s the only one who actually looks at the man behind the curtain. Her relationship with Flora Baumbach—her partner in the game—is probably the most touching part of the whole story. Flora, who lost her own daughter Rosalie, finds a surrogate in Turtle. And Turtle, who is constantly belittled by her mother, Grace, finds the unconditional love she’s been starving for.
Then there’s Angela Wexler. Most readers see her as the "perfect" daughter, the beautiful bride-to-be. But Angela is the bomber. That’s not a spoiler if you’ve finished the book, but it’s the most vital piece of her characterization. She’s literally exploding because she has no agency. Everyone defines her by her face or her fiancé, Denton Deere. By scarring herself, she takes control of her own identity. It’s dark. It’s visceral. It’s a cry for help that most people in Sunset Towers completely miss.
The Overlooked Players
Sydelle Pulaski is an anomaly. She wasn’t even supposed to be there. Sybil Pulaski was the intended heir, but a spelling error brought Sydelle instead. She spends the entire book manufacturing "shortcomings" to get attention. The painted crutches? The secret shorthand notes? It’s all a performance. She’s the "mistake," yet she holds the most valuable piece of evidence for a significant portion of the game.
What about Judge J.J. Ford? She’s arguably the smartest person in the room. Her history with Sam Westing is complicated. He paid for her education, not out of the kindness of his heart, but as a move in a much larger chess game. She spends the novel trying to beat him at his own game to pay off a debt she feels she owes him. She’s the moral compass, yet she’s constantly blinded by her own resentment of Westing’s manipulations.
Why the Pairing System Was the Real Secret
Westing paired the heirs to force them to compensate for each other's weaknesses. It wasn't random.
- Chris Theodorakis and Denton Deere: Chris is confined to a wheelchair due to a degenerative neurological disease. Denton is a pompous medical intern. By pairing them, Westing forces Denton to actually care for a patient instead of just studying them. In return, Chris gets a friend and eventually the medical help that changes his life.
- Grace Wexler and James Shin Hoo: This is pure comedy, but also deep social commentary. Grace is a bigot who thinks she’s interior-decorating royalty. Hoo is a frustrated inventor and restaurateur. They end up becoming successful business partners. Grace finds a career that isn't "perfect housewife," and Hoo finally gets the recognition he deserves.
- Crow and Otis Amber: The "sinners" and the "saints." Berthe Erica Crow is the ex-wife of Sam Westing, a woman consumed by guilt and religion. Otis is the "idiot" delivery boy who is actually a private investigator. They are the boots-on-the-ground perspective of the Westing estate.
The Four Identities of Sam Westing
You can't talk about the characters from The Westing Game without talking about the man himself. He isn't just Sam Westing. He is a four-headed beast:
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- Samuel W. Westing: The industrialist, the patriot, the game-player.
- Barney Northrup: The salesman who rented out the apartments in Sunset Towers. This was the first clue—he recruited the players.
- Sandy McSouthers: The doorman. This is where he stayed close to the action. He was Turtle’s friend. He watched them all from the lobby.
- Julian R. Eastman: The CEO of Westing Paper Products. The final "direction" in the game (West, North, South, East).
Turtle is the only one who figures this out. She wins because she realizes the game isn't about finding a murderer; it's about finding the fourth identity. The "murder" was a ruse. Westing "died" as Sam, but he lived on as Sandy and Eastman.
The Mistakes Most Readers Make
A lot of people think the mystery is the point. It's not. If you focus too hard on the clues like "MT. VERNON AM IS I VIVIDLY," you're going to miss the character arcs. The clues were a distraction. They were lyrics to "America the Beautiful," sure, but the lyrics pointed to Crow—the person Westing wanted to protect and provide for in his own twisted way.
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Another misconception? That the heirs are all "good" people. They aren't. James Hoo is bitter. Sunny (Madame Hoo) is literally stealing from her neighbors so she can buy a ticket back to China because she’s so lonely and isolated. Doug Hoo is obsessed with track to the point of neglecting everything else. Theo Theodorakis is burdened by resentment because he has to take care of his brother. They are all deeply flawed humans. That’s why we still talk about this book fifty years later.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Re-read
If you’re going back to Sunset Towers, don't just read the dialogue. Look at the margins.
- Track the money: Every pair got $10,000. Look at how they spent it. It tells you everything about their priorities. Turtle puts it in the stock market (shrewd). The Hoos use it for the restaurant.
- Watch Sandy McSouthers: Now that you know who he is, look at his interactions with the kids. He’s surprisingly kind. He’s basically playing grandpa while "dead."
- Analyze the apartment numbers: Raskin was a designer. The layout of Sunset Towers and the specific apartments assigned to each heir aren't accidental. They reflect the social hierarchy Westing wanted to disrupt.
- Focus on the "No"s: Pay attention to what the characters refuse to do. Angela refuses to lead. Theo refuses to leave Chris. Their growth is found in what they eventually say "yes" to.
The best way to experience the characters from The Westing Game is to stop looking for a body and start looking for the connections between the living. The game was never about an inheritance of money; it was an inheritance of family. By the end, the heirs aren't just neighbors; they are a weird, dysfunctional, beautiful support system that Sam Westing built from the ground up.
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Go back and look at the final chapter. See where they all ended up. Turtle is a successful lawyer and businesswoman. She’s the one at Julian Eastman’s deathbed. She kept the secret for a lifetime. That’s the ultimate character payoff. She didn't just win the money; she won the game of life that Westing was teaching them to play.