Character List
Colonel Ben Cameron -
Played
by Henry Walthall
The noble savior of the
South, proud founder of the Ku Klux Klan, and protagonist of the
film. A genteel, intelligent family man, Ben, “the Little Colonel,”
rises to great achievement when blacks threaten the honor of the South.
His character has the greatest emotional range. He smiles broadly,
cultivates a special, caring relationship with his youngest sister,
and pats and touches his slaves affectionately (Griffith's code
for graciousness). But when war comes, he seethes with patriotic
anger against the threat posed to traditional plantation life, expressing
this anger by tossing his body around and writhing feverishly. Later,
he fumes with racist hatred.
Elsie Stoneman -
Played
by Lillian Gish
The idealistic, loyal daughter
of the abolitionist leader Austin Stoneman. Elsie lovingly dotes
on her family and often kneels deferentially at her father's feet.
Her fragile daguerreotype image helps Ben Cameron through the war.
The audiences of
1915 would have been intimately
familiar with Elsie's pale white skin and deep-eyed expressions
of innocence, for Gish was the superstar stage and screen actress
of her time. Like today's film celebrities, Gish conjured up a “type”
for filmgoers: a frail, ethereal, pure-hearted beauty. Elsie's presence
floats angelically over the film.
The Honorable Austin Stoneman -
Played by Ralph Lewis
The abolitionist
leader from the North who wields power over Reconstruction after
Lincoln's assassination, and the antagonist of the film. A bookish
man who often holds meetings in his library, Stoneman is portrayed
as physically flawed and lacking in moral character. He limps and
walks with a cane, wears a wig, and lusts after his mulatto housekeeper.
Silas Lynch -
Played
by George Siegmann
The mulatto politician
and overseer of day-to-day operations during Reconstruction who
becomes South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor. Portrayed as evil
from the start because of his mixed-race parentage, Lynch often
spies on Elsie or lusts after other women, giving sideways glances
and clutching his hat anxiously. His character represents the stereotype
of savage sexuality in people of African heritage.
Flora Cameron -
Played
by Mae Marsh as a teen and by Violet Wilkey as a child
The excitable, youngest Cameron sister who grows
into a teenager during the course of the film. Often called “Little
Sister,” Flora is at first impishly playful. As she matures over
the course of the war, she serves as a metaphor for the sea changes swamping
the South. She adores her older brother, Ben, and faces the ravages
of the war bravely with an increasingly haggard appearance and a
careworn face.
Margaret Cameron -
Played
by Miriam Cooper
The elder Cameron sister
who eventually falls for Phil Stoneman. Trained in the etiquette
of the old South, Margaret, a quiet, round-faced flower, moves with
dignity. Her facial expressions are small and subtle but reveal
a great deal of emotion behind her reserved façade.
Phil Stoneman -
Played
by Elmer Clifton
The eldest Stoneman brother
who takes a liking to Margaret Cameron. A respectful, top-hatted,
mustached man with a quiet dignity, Phil slowly courts Margaret.
In battle, he rises to become one of the most successful Union leaders.
Tod Stoneman -
Played
by Robert Harron
The youngest Stoneman brother.
Tod enlivens the screen as a wildly expressive, playful fop. Thin
and energetic, Tod stands in strong contrast to the reserved demeanor
of his older brother. Upon his visit to Piedmont, he resumes his
boyish roughhousing with Duke.
Gus -
Played in
blackface by white actor Walter Long
An emancipated
slave who lusts after Flora. Gus becomes an enemy of the Klan after
pursuing Flora to her death.
Dr. Cameron -
Played
by Spottiswoode Aitken
The aging head of
the Cameron family. Dr. Cameron is thin, white-haired, and reserved.
He reads the newspapers to his family, disseminating national information.
Essentially powerless in the war, he nevertheless reigns over his family
with patriarchal beneficence.
Wade Cameron -
Played
by George Beranger
The mustached, middle
Cameron brother. Wade is little seen before he goes off to war.
His death serves as another harsh reminder of war for the Camerons,
who mourn him back at home.
Duke Cameron -
Played
by Maxfield Stanley
The youngest Cameron brother.
Duke returns Tod Stoneman's affection and playfulness, and his vibrancy
around the Cameron homestead emphasizes his youth.
Mrs. Cameron -
Played
by Josephine Crowell
The stout, stoic wife
of Dr. Cameron. Mrs. Cameron, with her tightly pulled-back hair,
silently serves as a pillar of support for the Cameron girls at
home. Mostly, she worries and mourns, especially over the loss of
her three sons “to the cause.”
President Abraham Lincoln -
Played by Joseph Henabery
A god among
men, referred to as the “Great Heart.” Lincoln genuinely acts for
the benefit of all. When he rises from his chair, he stands above
the surrounding representatives, who stay back at a detached, respectful distance.
His tall stature indicates his moral superiority. Lincoln moves
slowly and with dignity and looks in the distance as if he's seeing
far into the future. His death signals a devastating turning point
for the South.
Lydia Brown -
Played
in blackface by white actress Mary Alden
The Stonemans'
housekeeper. A lustful mulatto, Lydia becomes sexually aroused whenever
she overhears strong orders being given in Stoneman's library. She licks
her fingers, beats her breast, and eventually becomes Stoneman's
mistress.
Mammy -
Played
in blackface by white actress Jenny Lee
The faithful
servant to the Camerons. A large, rotund housekeeper, Mammy moans
loudly and makes broad gestures.
