I'm not sure specifically as I don't know the exact 'the empty family stories'. But they could be family members like a mother, father, children who are dealing with the emptiness of the family situation.
Maybe there are some loner - type characters in 'the empty family stories'. It could be an old grandparent who has outlived most of their family and is now left in an 'empty' family situation. There might also be a young adult who has left a dysfunctional family and now feels like they are in an empty family of their own making.
I'm not sure without reading the story, but it could be a single parent who is left alone in the family home after the kids have grown up and moved away. This person would be one of the main characters dealing with the emptiness of the family.
One of the main themes could be isolation. Since it's about an 'empty family', the characters might be experiencing a sense of being alone. Another theme might be loss, perhaps the loss of family connection or the loss of a certain way of life.
It might include the owners or former inhabitants of the empty houses. They could have some connection to the hauntings. Also, there could be investigators or curious neighbors who become involved in the spooky goings - on.
I'm not entirely sure as I haven't read it in great detail, but there might be a character named The Empty Man himself who is central to the story, representing the concept of emptiness.
As I haven't read 'Empty Hearts A Novel', I can't say for sure who the main characters are. However, they could be people who are experiencing some sort of emotional turmoil related to having empty hearts. Maybe there's a protagonist who is on a journey to find fulfillment and in the process, meets other characters who either help or hinder that journey. It could be a story about a group of individuals, each with their own empty hearts, coming together and their lives intertwining in unexpected ways.
I don't know as I haven't read it. Maybe it has characters who are named after the title, like 'the empty ones' could be a group or individual characters with that as their identity.
There could be a passer - by. This person might be the one who first notices the empty house and starts to wonder about it. Their curiosity can drive the story forward.
The stories in 'The Empty Family' often explore themes of isolation and the complex nature of family relationships. Colm Toibin's writing style is quite nuanced, with his characters often facing internal conflicts.
Since I don't know the specific 'the empty chair short story', it's hard to say. But it could be a person who notices the empty chair, like a homeowner who is puzzled by an empty chair in a newly - bought house. Maybe there's also a neighbor who has some knowledge about the chair's previous occupant.
The main characters are the boy with the empty pot and the emperor.