Big Boy is an adolescent African American youth living in the rural, segregated South. Coming from a poor household, he wears tattered clothes and ill-fitting shoes. He acts as the spirited, sometimes aggressive leader of his friend group, possessing physical strength and an intense will to survive when an afternoon of skipping school turns unexpectedly dangerous.

Bobo is one of Big Boy's closest friends and peers. He serves as a cautious voice within the group, often pointing out the physical and social risks of Big Boy's daring ideas. Despite his reservations about breaking rules, he remains fiercely loyal to his friends and relies on group solidarity when they encounter a threat.

Jim is the son of Old Man Harvey and an army officer currently on leave. He is engaged to Bertha. Acting on extreme racist prejudices, he perceives any Black person on his family's property as an immediate threat and employs lethal violence without hesitation or inquiry.

Buck is an adolescent boy who enjoys joking, wrestling, and singing with his friends. He longs for better food and a life free from the systemic oppression of the rural South. He willingly joins the others in skipping school to swim in a prohibited creek.

Lester rounds out the quartet of friends. He possesses a strong awareness of the local dangers, explicitly recalling violence previously inflicted by white landowners. Nevertheless, he eventually yields to peer pressure and participates in the group's rebellious fun.

Bertha is a young white woman engaged to Jim. Her sudden, frightened reaction to the boys triggers the story's central crisis. Blinded by prejudice, she assumes the boys mean her harm and screams for help, ignoring their explanations.

Old Man Harvey is a wealthy white landowner who claims the local swimming creek as his private domain. Though he does not physically appear in the story, his reputation for fiercely enforcing segregation and shooting at trespassers creates the tense atmosphere surrounding the swimming hole.

Liza is Big Boy's hardworking mother. She initially scolds her son for skipping school, but upon realizing the immediate danger he faces, she shifts entirely into a protective stance. She acts quickly to provide him with food and facilitate his safety.

Saul is Big Boy's father, a pragmatic man who understands the severe realities of the Jim Crow South. When faced with his son's crisis, he acts swiftly, gathering trusted community elders to coordinate an escape plan rather than attempting to fight a losing battle alone.

Lucy is Big Boy's sister. She helps her mother with household chores and plays a vital role during the family's rapid response to the crisis. She fetches their father and brings her brother much-needed shoes for his journey.

Brother Sanders is a trusted member of the local African American community. He demonstrates profound solidarity by volunteering his own son's work vehicle to help transport Big Boy out of town, willingly absorbing the risk involved.

Will is the son of Brother Sanders. He works as a driver for the Magnolia Express Company, operating a route that heads toward Chicago. He represents a physical link to the North and provides necessary transportation for those needing to flee.

Brother Jenkins is a community elder called upon during the crisis. He immediately grasps the immense danger posed by the white mob and helps coordinate the strategy to protect a vulnerable member of their community.

Elder Peters is a respected figure in the local community. He brings specific knowledge about the white townsfolk to the group's planning, identifying Jim's military background and clarifying the severity of the threat.