Minor characters can often play major roles in the outcome of a play or tale. In Paddy Chayefsky's play Marty, there are several minor characters that contribute to Marty's life in a major way. The play without these characters would decrease the motivation and purpose shown by the main characters of the story. With each interaction with one of these minor characters, the main character learns more about his situation, human nature, and perhaps even the opposite sex in general. The most important minor character role in Marty would have to be the young man who tries to offload his date onto Marty.
This slight individual creates an extraordinary situation for the main character which affects severely the outcome of the play. Although the play never mentions this character's name, his shallow and superficial acts contribute greatly to Marty's continuing relationship with Clara. His presence represents a major role that contrasts Marty's character traits and reflects more of what the audience knows about Marty. This person also sets the scene for the internal conflict within the main character when he approaches Marty with a proposition. "I got stuck onna blind date with a dog, and I just picked up a nice chick, and I was wondering how I"m gonna get ridda the dog. [. . .] I be glad to pay you five bucks if you take the dog home for me." (2.16).
Without this minor character, Marty probably would have never met Clara and the emotion displayed at the end of the play would be changed significantly. The lead in of his family and friends remarks about his lack of a wife would be bare and not foreshadow as much to the great change in Marty's life. "Well, Marty, when you gonna get married? You should be ashamed. All your brothers and sisters, they all younger than you, and they married, and they got children." (1.9). With no severe change in Marty's life, these comments would predict nothing and the tone of the play would not change through to the end.
