The Attic

Louise is a depressed, alcoholic head librarian in Wichita who has nursed nineteen years of care for her feigned-disabled father. She harbors fantasies of revenge and shows empathy toward Emily, revealing a longing for connection and a fragile sense of control. Her emotions spiral as she confronts her father’s manipulation, culminating in a fatal act that upends her life.

Wendell is Louise’s abusive father who pretends to be disabled to keep her under his control. He wields manipulation and fear to maintain power, and his secret violence is revealed only later. Louise’s realization of his true nature culminates in a violent confrontation.

A sailor Louise meets after the film and shares a night with her, offering a fleeting escape from her stagnant life. The encounter underscores Louise’s longing for companionship and a chance to feel desired outside her ordinary routine.

Emily is Louise’s younger coworker and friend who is also facing her own crossroads about leaving Kansas; her boyfriend has moved to California, and Louise helps her pursue that escape by arranging a plane ticket to Los Angeles. She embodies hope and the possibility of new beginnings.

Dickie the chimpanzee is a pet Louise brings home, symbolizing her longing for companionship and care. His presence adds a caring, almost childlike dimension to Louise’s life, and his fate becomes tied to the attic’s dark secrets.

Robert is Louise’s fiancé who disappeared the day before their wedding, a mystery haunting Louise and shaping her mistrust and longing for closure.

The Librarian, a minor figure, represents the institutional backdrop of Louise’s daily life at the library and the social norms she contends with. Her presence marks the setting’s professional veneer amid personal turmoil.

Mrs. Perkins is Emily’s mother who appears at family gatherings; she embodies the social expectations of polite society and exerts a subtle, controlling presence.