Mohun Biswas is a young Trinidadian-Indian man of Brahmin descent who works various jobs, including sign writing, to escape a legacy of generational poverty. Born into misfortune and alienated from his ancestral roots, he resents his lack of agency. He yearns for independence, which he associates with the pursuit of owning a house and freeing himself from the domineering Tulsi family.

Shama is the 16-year-old daughter of the formidable Mrs. Tulsi and is hastily married off to Mr. Biswas due to his Brahmin caste. Torn between loyalty to her large, influential extended family and obligations to her husband, she carves out her own domestic sphere of influence. She possesses a sharp wit and resilience, frequently returning to her family's estate when domestic tensions escalate.

Anand is the eldest son of Mr. Biswas and Shama. He is a sensitive, intelligent boy who frequently struggles under the heavy expectations of his father. Because Mr. Biswas views him as a vessel for his own thwarted ambitions, Anand endures immense academic pressure to secure scholarships, making him increasingly isolated from his parents.

Mrs. Tulsi is the aging but formidable matriarch of the expansive Tulsi family. Following the death of her husband, she maintains strict control over her relatives, assigning living quarters and jobs to enforce dependence. She is a shrewd, traditional leader whose word functions as law within Hanuman House.

Seth is the husband of Mrs. Tulsi's sister, Padma, and serves as a powerful counterpart to Mrs. Tulsi in managing the family's affairs. He is pragmatic and operates in a moral grey area, frequently giving dubious advice regarding business schemes and property fires. Despite his authority, his lack of Tulsi blood occasionally marks him as an outsider.

Bipti is Mr. Biswas's mother, a poor Trinidadian-Indian woman who separates from her husband shortly before her son's birth. Following early family tragedies, she relies heavily on the charity of her wealthier sister, Tara, permanently altering her family's trajectory and scattering her children to different households.

Raghu is Mr. Biswas's father, an impoverished laborer on a vast sugar estate. He is notoriously cheap, burying his wages in secret locations out of paranoia about his neighbors. His reckless actions inadvertently shape the course of his son's early life.

Tara is Bipti's wealthier, socially conscious sister. She employs her niece Dehuti as a servant and dictates Mr. Biswas's early career path, first sending him to become a pundit and later to work in a rum shop. She occasionally uses her Brahmin relatives to impress friends during religious ceremonies.

Ajodha is Tara's husband and a wealthy property owner who runs multiple businesses, including a rum shop. He operates as an occasional benefactor and lender to Mr. Biswas, holding significantly more financial stability than most of the extended family.

Owad is Mrs. Tulsi's favored son and the pride of the Tulsi family. He is sent abroad to England to study medicine and is treated with profound reverence upon his return. He introduces new political ideologies and assumes a dominant leadership role within the household.

Dehuti is Mr. Biswas's older sister. She elopes with a low-caste laborer named Ramchand, causing a minor scandal that damages her standing with her wealthy aunt Tara and distances her from her immediate family.

Savi is the eldest child and daughter of Mr. Biswas and Shama. She grows up largely overshadowed by the intense focus her father places on her brother Anand, navigating a chaotic childhood spread across numerous Tulsi properties.

Bhandat is Ajodha's brother. He manages the rum shop, drinks heavily, and frequently embezzles money from the business. Paranoid and abusive, he falsely accuses Mr. Biswas of stealing and physically attacks him.

Govind is married to Shama's sister, Chinta. He clashes violently with Mr. Biswas during ideological disputes over religion and grows increasingly aggressive within the crowded family homes.

Chinta is Shama's sister and Govind's wife. She frequently argues with other members of the household and experiences friction with Mr. Biswas, at one point accusing him of stealing money from her.

Ramchand is Dehuti's charismatic husband. He secures well-paying work at an asylum in Port of Spain and encourages Mr. Biswas to visit the capital city, introducing him to urban life.

Nicknamed "Mr. Tuttle" by Mr. Biswas due to his fondness for reading W. C. Tuttle novels, he is an outsider married into the Tulsi family. He bonds with Mr. Biswas over their shared alienation from the Tulsis.

Jairam is a severe, strict Hindu pundit who attempts to educate Mr. Biswas in religious practices. He dismisses Mr. Biswas in disgust after the boy accidentally soils a sacred oleander bush.

Hari is an in-house Hindu pundit for the Tulsi family. He is chronically ill but highly respected for his religious functions, frequently officiating blessings for the family's endeavors.