George is a 58-year-old English professor living in Los Angeles in 1964. He struggles with intense grief following a car accident that killed his partner, Jim, leaving him feeling deeply isolated from the conservative suburban society around him. Highly observant and routinely cynical, he constantly manages his inner thoughts, sometimes dividing his consciousness into separate entities like "the Chauffeur" to function through his daily routine.

Jim is George's late partner, a Navy veteran who died in a car accident a few years prior to the events of the story. He is remembered as compassionate, popular, and unafraid to live authentically despite the societal prejudices of his era. His lingering memory heavily influences George's daily existence, serving as both a source of past joy and present isolation.

Charlotte is an English expatriate and George's closest living friend, residing in a dilapidated, secluded house on a hill near his neighborhood. She struggles with loneliness, depression, and an estranged relationship with her son. She relies on alcohol to cope and depends heavily on George for emotional support, sometimes romantically misinterpreting their bond out of desperation.

Kenny is an observant, curious college student in George's English class at San Tomas State College. He possesses a youthful energy that brings out a dormant sense of vitality in his professor. He willingly engages George in philosophical conversations outside the classroom and expresses a fascination with authority and tradition.

Doris is a woman from Jim's past who currently resides in a hospital due to a terminal illness. Years ago, she and Jim spent a summer together in Mexico after he became curious about women, an event that sparked lasting resentment from George. Now severely diminished by illness, she provides George with one of his last remaining connections to his late partner.

Mrs. Strunk is one of George's neighbors on Camphor Street. She embodies mid-century middle-class attitudes regarding sexuality, treating George with a mixture of polite tolerance and underlying pity. She occasionally attempts to interact with him but carefully manages her social invitations to avoid offending her more conservative friends.