Elizabeth is a moderately wealthy sex worker from Rouen. She is colloquially known as Boule de Suif due to her round figure. Despite her marginalized social standing, she holds deep patriotic convictions and recently attacked an occupying Prussian soldier in her home. She joins a group of well-to-do travelers fleeing the city, bringing along a large basket of provisions to share and showing her practical nature in the face of polite society's initial scorn.

Cornudet is a democrat and antimonarchist who frequently patronizes local cafes. Nicknamed the demon, he is eager for the establishment of a Republic and holds strong political opinions that clash with his aristocratic traveling companions. He presents himself as a man of the people while fleeing the occupation.

Count Hubert bears one of the noblest and most ancient names in Normandy. Representing the French aristocracy, he is an elderly gentleman who relies on diplomatic skill rather than brute force. He views the war primarily through the lens of how it damages his agricultural investments.

The Prussian Officer is a member of the occupying forces who detains the travelers' coach at the local inn. He holds absolute authority over their movement and uses his military power to exert control over the French citizens.

Monsieur Loiseau is a wholesale wine merchant representing the greedy side of the French bourgeoisie. He possesses a salacious curiosity and a hypocritical nature. He is entirely willing to cast aside his principles when his own comfort or financial interests are at stake.

Madame Loiseau is the wife and business partner of the wholesale wine merchant. She is highly judgmental and self-righteous. She immediately looks down upon Elizabeth and whispers disparaging remarks about her to the other wealthy women in the coach.

Monsieur Carré-Lamadon is a wealthy cotton merchant and the proprietor of three branch businesses. He is an officer of the Legion of Honor and a prominent member of the bourgeoisie. He functions as a political opportunist who remains in the friendly opposition solely to secure better positions for himself.

Madame Carré-Lamadon is the young and genteel wife of the wealthy cotton merchant. Despite her polite exterior and refined manners, she shares the self-serving attitudes of her class. She harbors a quiet disdain for the republican government and lower-class citizens.

The Countess embodies the height of French aristocratic society. She is well-versed in the duplicities and subtle manipulations of the drawing-room. She uses her refined manners to mask a calculating nature that prioritizes her own comfort over the well-being of others.

The Older Nun is a religious sister traveling to Havre to nurse hundreds of French soldiers afflicted with smallpox. She is deeply pious and heavily dogmatic. She believes firmly in the absolute will of the Almighty and holds significant moral sway over the group.

The Younger Nun accompanies her older counterpart on their medical mission to Havre. She remains quiet and obedient throughout the journey. She focuses entirely on her religious duties rather than engaging in the gossip of the wealthy passengers.

Monsieur Follenvie is the innkeeper in the town of Tôtes. He acts as a reluctant but compliant intermediary between the occupying Prussian soldiers and the French travelers staying at his establishment.

Madame Follenvie is the wife of the local innkeeper. She harbors a deep resentment toward the war, viewing it as a senseless tragedy that needlessly kills common people regardless of their nationality.