The characters are not naturalistic portraits but rather caricatures of contemporary types. As in the older comedies their names suggest their identities (Midway Makepiece Freeman etc). The model Midland householder Fred Midway sedulously climbing the business and social ladders self-educated by correspondence courses with his material yardstick his oratory self-knowledge and pathetic faith in himself provides a brilliant centre to a highly entertaining and satiricial play.4 women 5 men