Addie is the dying matriarch of the rural Bundren family in Mississippi. Bedridden and weary of her life, she watches her family prepare for her passing. She holds complex, distant feelings toward her husband and children, viewing her impending death as a release from the exhaustion of motherhood. She demands to be buried with her ancestors in the town of Jefferson, setting the family's journey in motion.

Anse is the hunchbacked, toothless patriarch of the Bundren family. He blames the road near their farm for the family's misfortune and focuses heavily on his own physical ailments. Though he insists on fulfilling his wife's dying wish to be buried in Jefferson, his motivations frequently center on his personal desire for a new set of teeth.

Cash is the eldest Bundren son, a skilled and methodical carpenter who walks with a limp after falling off a church roof. He expresses his devotion to his mother through manual labor, meticulously constructing her wooden coffin right outside her bedroom window. He communicates his feelings primarily through the precision of his tools rather than words.

Darl is the articulate and observant second son of the Bundren family. He perceives the unspoken secrets of his siblings and narrates much of the story with thoughtful, formal language. His neighbors view him as an eccentric who thinks too much and laughs at inappropriate times, setting him apart from his community.

Jewel is the passionate and volatile third son of the Bundren family. He is remarkably physically agile and channels his fierce energy into a wildly athletic relationship with his beloved horse. He harbors deep resentment toward his family's open preparations for his mother's death.

Dewey Dell is the sole daughter of the Bundren family, who recently discovered she is pregnant out of wedlock. She views her mother's impending death through the lens of her own urgent need to reach the town of Jefferson. She seeks a medical solution to her predicament and views the men around her with a mixture of hope and suspicion.

Vardaman is the youngest Bundren child, a young boy struggling to process the reality of mortality. He views the world literally and attempts to understand his mother's decline by associating her with the large fish he recently caught and killed. He processes his grief through sudden bursts of anger and confusion.

Cora is a deeply religious, self-righteous neighbor of the Bundren family who bakes cakes for extra income. She views herself as morally superior, interpreting the Bundrens' struggles as divine punishment. She frequently hovers over Addie's sickbed to offer prayers while judging Anse's behavior.

Vernon is Cora's husband and a prosperous local farmer. He frequently helps the poorer Bundren family with loans and manual labor. He provides a grounded, practical perspective on their situation, contrasting with his wife's religious judgments.

Reverend Whitfield is the local minister who commands respect throughout the rural community. He possesses a booming voice and an impressive physical presence, riding a horse across the countryside to offer spiritual guidance to the sick.

Peabody is a heavy-set, practical country doctor who travels to the Bundren farm. He is frustrated by Anse's habit of delaying medical care to save money and struggles with the physical exertion required to reach their remote hilltop home.

Lafe is a local farmer and field worker. He maintains a secret romantic relationship with Dewey Dell and gives her ten dollars so she can seek a medical solution to her resulting predicament in town.

Samson is a local farmer who encounters the Bundren family during their journey. He views their expedition as eccentric and ill-advised, offering them practical shelter in his barn which they stubbornly refuse.

Armstid is a rural farmer who crosses paths with the Bundrens. He offers them his own team of mules to aid their difficult travel, representing the practical hospitality of the local community.

Moseley is a pharmacist in the town of Mottson. He is a stern, moralizing businessman who protects his professional reputation when approached by rural customers seeking illicit medical help.

Skeet is a slick, predatory clerk working in a Jefferson doctor's office. He takes advantage of his position and the desperation of young country women who wander into his shop seeking help.