Character Relationship Map: Putzel

Characters

• Walter (played by Jack Carpenter) — protagonist

  Walter is a young man whose life revolves around his family's bagel and lox store in uptown Manhattan. He dreams of taking charge of his uncle Sid's business, but tries to disrupt Sid's affair with Sa...

• Sally (played by Melanie Lynskey) — supporting

  Sally is a beguiling dancer whose arrival unsettles the established world around Walter and Sid. She begins an affair with Sid, a much older married man, creating the doomed relationship that Walter a...

• Sid (played by John Pankow) — supporting

  Sid is Walter's uncle and the proprietor of the family emporium, the business Walter hopes eventually to preside over. He is a much older married man who begins an affair with Sally, making him the ce...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Sid → Sally (Romantic Affair Partners)

  Sally begins an affair with Sid, who is described as much older and very married.

• Walter → Sid (Family Nephew And Uncle)

  The plot identifies Sid as Walter's uncle and describes Walter's connection to Sid's family business.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Walter → Sally (Conflict Romantic Rivalry)

  Walter attempts to sabotage Sally's affair with Sid.

Story Analysis

Walter's attempt to protect his place in a family business leads him through romantic disruption, personal chaos, and a new understanding of his identity.

Plot Progression

1. Life Behind the Counter
2. An Affair Enters the Store
3. Sabotage and Disorder
4. More Than Putzel