Since I haven't read it, I can't be sure. But surely the laid - off man is a main character. There might also be his family members, like his wife and children who are affected by his lay - off. Maybe there's a former boss or colleague who has some influence on his situation.
Well, in addition to the obvious laid - off man, there could be a friend who offers him advice or support during his difficult time. There might also be people from the unemployment office if the story delves into the process of him seeking help or benefits. And if the story has a bit of a love interest angle, there could be a female character who either helps him through the tough time or complicates his situation further.
I haven't actually read this specific 'the laid off man short story', but generally, it might be about the difficulties and challenges the man faces after being laid off, like financial problems, identity crisis, and how he tries to cope with this major life change.
One laid - off story could be about a factory worker. He had been working at the same factory for years. When the company faced financial difficulties and had to cut costs, he was laid off. He had to suddenly adjust to a life without a steady income and look for new opportunities in a competitive job market.
Sure. There are laid - off stories in various industries like the tech industry. A software engineer might be laid off when a startup fails to secure more funding. This engineer then has to deal with things like updating their resume, networking, and facing the disappointment of not being part of the project they were working on, all without any erotic elements involved.
Since there are many possible 'the best laid plans stories', the main characters can vary widely. It could be a young entrepreneur in a story who has the best plan for starting a new company. He might be full of ideas and has everything planned out, from financing to marketing. Or it could be a family in a story, where the parents have planned a great vacation for the kids, but then various things start to go wrong. There could also be a character like a scientist who has a brilliant plan for an experiment, but unforeseen factors in the laboratory environment mess up the plan.
As we don't know the specific '7 man short story', we can't determine the characters precisely. They could be ordinary men, adventurers, or workers.
There was an older worker who had been with a company for over 20 years. He was laid off when the company decided to outsource his department. He had no experience with the new technologies in his field that were required by most other companies. Despite his years of experience, he couldn't find a new job easily. He felt completely lost and betrayed by the company he had dedicated so much of his life to.
Not having read the 'A Life Laid Bare Australian Story', I can only speculate. Maybe the main characters are those who have had extraordinary experiences in Australia. It could be someone who has a deep connection to the land, or a person who has made a significant impact on the local community. It might also be about an individual who has gone through a major life transformation in the Australian context.
Mr. Hawkins is another important character. He is Dave's employer. His relationship with Dave shows the power dynamics between an employer and a young, inexperienced worker. Dave wants to prove himself to Mr. Hawkins as part of his journey to manhood.
Since we don't have access to the story, it's difficult to name the exact characters. However, we can make some assumptions. The man on the stairs is the central figure. There might be a female character, perhaps his love interest or a family member. There could also be a character who represents authority, like a police officer if there's some sort of trouble. And there might be a character who is a witness to whatever is happening on the stairs, someone who adds to the complexity of the story by their observations or actions.
Since it's a short story called 'the 10th man', there are likely at least ten characters. There are the nine men who form a group, and then there is the tenth man who is distinct in some way from the others. But without more details about the story, it's hard to say more about their individual personalities or roles.