You Can’t Buy Everything

A wealthy, controlling matriarch whose obsession with money drives most of the plot. Her life is shadowed by a history of poverty and a tense relationship with her son, Donny, and her past decisions. Dr. Lorimer calls her manner 'Hannibal,' underscoring the severity of her avarice. Over 30 years, her health and mindset deteriorate, culminating in pneumonia and a painful confrontation with her family's consequences.

A bank president who resists Hannah's demands and offers to resign to protect depositors, demonstrating principled leadership. He bears the weight of a failed engagement with Hannah and the social pressures of his position. His decisions during the Panic test the bank's stability and his own sense of responsibility.

Burton's daughter who becomes the link between Hannah's world and Donny's, after Kate's intervention. She fears her mother-in-law's domineering influence but embodies optimism and resilience. Her relationship with Donny symbolizes the union of two generations of wealth and ambition.

A physician who assesses Hannah's declining mental state and suggests understanding her scars to explain her behavior. He orchestrates the possibility of reuniting Donny and Burton as a way to uncover the trauma behind Hannah's actions. His clinical perspective grounds the moral inquiry of the story.

A powerful banker and Hannah's father's old friend who heads the bank and resists her demands. He acts as a gatekeeper during the financial crisis and embodies the authority and rigidity of the financial class. His decisions influence the family's fate and the bank's public image.

Donny's adult self, a Princeton-educated mind who aspires to be a writer rather than a banker. His hopes collide with his mother's greed and his own sense of duty to family legacy. He remains aware of his mother's influence as he charts his own path.

Donny in his youth, symbolizing the impact of Hannah's wealth on the next generation. He is recognized for his intellect and foreshadows a life shaped by both opportunity and restraint. His early experiences set the stage for the later conflicts between love, wealth, and autonomy.

A generous donor to the children's clinic who presses Hannah to fund the institution under her real name. She embodies compassion and acts as a catalyst for social responsibility. Her presence contrasts Hannah's thrift and helps drive the philanthropic arc of the story.