The narrator of the story is a postmodern author who specializes in tales with simple plots and open-ended destinies. Modeled after Grace Paley herself, she resists writing traditional, linear narratives because she feels a deep sense of responsibility toward her characters and dislikes sentencing them to a definite fate. When she attempts to write a tragedy to please her father, she adopts a detached, wry tone to cope with her discomfort.

At 86 years old, the father is a Ukrainian immigrant, former doctor, and artist suffering from heart failure. He prefers nineteenth-century realist literature with clear, definitive endings. Facing his own mortality, he views life as fundamentally tragic and urges his daughter to write stories that look this harsh reality in the face rather than relying on jokes or open-ended hope.

A handsome woman with dark hair in heavy braids, invented by the writer but based on a real-life neighbor. She is desperate to maintain a connection with her son and keep up with youth culture, leading her to adopt his drug habits. Her deep love for her child makes her vulnerable, as her attempts to relate to him ultimately isolate her.

An intelligent but somewhat self-involved teenager in the writer's story, also based on a real neighbor. He channels his busy brilliance into creating "Oh! Golden Horse!", a periodical that promotes drug use. Though he begins as an enthusiast of drug culture, his shifting interests quickly alter the trajectory of his own life and his mother's.

A stern and proselytizing young woman who runs a publication dedicated to health foods. She represents a shift in the son's life, pulling him away from drug culture and, consequently, away from his mother. Her discipline and seriousness provide a stark contrast to the chaotic environment of the mother's home.