On the Waterfront - Characters & Cast

Initially motivated by a desire for an easy life under Friendly's protection, his motivation shifts to a need for redemption and self-respect. He is driven by his guilt, his love for Edie, and his desire to finally be "a contender" in a moral sense, to prove he is not just a "bum."

Terry begins the film as an errand boy for the mob, a former boxer whose spirit was broken when his own brother forced him to throw a fight. He is initially passive and concerned only with self-preservation. Through his guilt over Joey's death, his relationship with Edie, and Father Barry's guidance, he undergoes a profound moral transformation. He evolves from a mumbling, conflicted man into a courageous figure who reclaims his dignity by testifying against Friendly and enduring a brutal beating to inspire his fellow workers.

Her primary motivation is to uncover the truth and achieve justice for her brother's murder. She is driven by a powerful sense of right and wrong, which she tries to impart to Terry and the other longshoremen.

Raised in the neighborhood but educated in a convent, Edie returns to the waterfront as an outsider, shielded from its brutality. The murder of her brother forces her into this corrupt world. While she starts as naive, her resolve to find justice never wavers. She remains a beacon of purity and goodness, but her arc sees her develop the strength and courage to stand by Terry, even after learning of his involvement in her brother's death.

He is motivated by his Christian faith and the belief that the church must be active in the struggles of the common person. He aims to break the workers' "deaf and dumb" silence, convincing them that allowing the mob's evil to persist is a profound sin.

Father Barry begins as a priest who is somewhat disconnected from the harsh realities of the dockworkers' lives. Provoked by Edie after her brother's death, he transforms into a militant crusader for justice. He moves his ministry from the safety of the church to the dangerous docks, delivering a fiery sermon over a murdered worker and actively organizing resistance against the mob, becoming a key mentor and conscience for Terry.

Friendly is motivated by greed and the love of power. He boasts of having clawed his way to the top and is determined to maintain his control over the docks and the flow of money through any means necessary, including murder.

Johnny Friendly does not have a significant arc; he remains the corrupt, violent, and intimidating union boss throughout the film. He starts in a position of absolute power and ends with that power shattered. His character serves as the embodiment of the systemic corruption that Terry must overcome. His downfall is a direct result of Terry's testimony.

Charley is motivated by the money and status that come with his position next to Friendly. However, he is also motivated by a deep, albeit compromised, love for his brother, which ultimately leads to his own demise.

Charley is Terry's older, more educated brother and Johnny Friendly's trusted advisor. He is complicit in the mob's corruption and responsible for ruining Terry's boxing career. His arc is tragic; when forced by Friendly to either silence or kill Terry, his underlying love for his brother wins out. In their famous taxi cab scene, he shows deep remorse before accepting his own fate, ultimately being murdered for failing to control Terry.