Emily is the last surviving member of a once-prominent Southern aristocratic family. She lives in a decaying, formerly grand plantation house that stands at odds with the modernizing town around it. Raised by a highly controlling father who aggressively turned away all her suitors, she struggles to adapt to the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. She fiercely guards her family's outdated privileges and maintains a strict boundary between her private household and the outside world.

The residents of Jefferson function as a collective entity that observes and judges the town's inhabitants. They represent the changing social and economic structures of the post-Civil War South. While they resent the old aristocratic privileges, they also view traditional figures with lingering reverence and intense curiosity.

Homer is a Northern day laborer who brings a loud, gregarious energy to the quiet Southern town. He is a big, dark man with a booming voice who easily commands attention in the local square. As a Yankee who openly admits he is not the marrying type, his presence challenges the strict social hierarchies and gender expectations of the local community.

Tobe is the loyal Black servant who maintains the Grierson household. He acts as the sole buffer between his employer and the outside world, executing his duties with quiet routine. As the town modernizes, he remains a fixture of the old plantation house, performing chores like grocery shopping while holding the household's privacy intact.

Colonel Sartoris is the former mayor of Jefferson and a veteran of the Confederate Army. He represents the older, paternalistic generation of the South. He invents a fictional town debt to the Grierson family to save them from financial embarrassment, setting a precedent that causes conflict for future administrations.

Mr. Grierson is a wealthy, patriarchal figure who exerts absolute dominance over his household. He aggressively drives away any potential suitors for his daughter, believing no one in the local area meets his high aristocratic standards. His controlling nature leaves his family financially ruined and deeply isolated.

Judge Stevens serves as the elderly mayor of Jefferson during a period of transition. When citizens complain about property issues, he attempts to handle the situation delicately to avoid offending traditional Southern sensibilities. He prefers quiet, covert solutions over direct confrontation.

The local pharmacist operates a business in Jefferson and must follow the strict legal and social rules of the town. He attempts to enforce protocol by asking standard regulatory questions but ultimately bends to the sheer force of aristocratic entitlement.

The local religious leader acts as a moral authority for the town. He is pushed into an uncomfortable position when his congregation demands he confront a prominent citizen about her socially unacceptable behavior.

The spouse of the local religious leader takes matters into her own hands when traditional pastoral counseling fails. She actively reaches out to distant family members, hoping to force an end to a local neighborhood scandal.

Estranged relatives from Alabama who travel to Jefferson at the behest of the local community. They are invited to act as chaperones and enforce traditional family standards, though their presence is viewed as restrictive and unwelcome by the very people who summoned them.