Selina is the ten-year-old daughter of Barbadian immigrants living in Brooklyn. As a first-generation American, she experiences the city's parks and streets as places of freedom, contrasting heavily with the tight-knit, expectation-heavy immigrant community of her parents. She resists the traditional, meek role expected of young girls, displaying a boisterous personality and a fondness for writing poetry.

Silla is a hardworking, determined Barbadian immigrant who arrived in America at the age of eighteen to escape grueling labor. She works long shifts in a factory and sells specialty foods on weekends to fund her goal of property ownership. Her intense drive to succeed and achieve the American dream creates significant friction within her household.

Deighton is a Barbadian immigrant who views his homeland as an idyllic place of his youth. Rather than saving for property in Brooklyn, he prefers to dress well, take correspondence courses, and dream of moving back to the Caribbean. He feels alienated by the strenuous, property-obsessed goals of his peers and prefers leisure over manual labor.

Ina is the eldest daughter of the Boyce family. Unlike her boisterous younger sister, she is delicate and generally compliant with her parents' rules. She aligns closely with the traditional expectations of young Barbadian-American women, dating acceptable boys and attending church regularly.

Beryl is the daughter of prosperous, middle-class Barbadian immigrants. She excels academically and plans to fulfill her father's demand that she become a lawyer. She serves as a contrast to the Boyce household, representing the ideal trajectory for a first-generation daughter within their cultural circle.

Clive is a twenty-nine-year-old son of a prominent Barbadian association member. He is a disillusioned veteran and a failed painter who once tried to establish himself in Greenwich Village's bohemian scene. He struggles with depression and the crushing weight of his mother's expectations, leading him to abandon his artistic ambitions.

Miss Suggie Skeete is an attractive Barbadian immigrant who rents a room from the Boyce family. She openly pursues romantic and sexual relationships, rejecting the community's strict expectations of female chastity and thrift. Her lifestyle provides an alternative example of personal freedom for the younger residents of the house.

Miss Thompson is an older African American woman from South Carolina who works in a beauty parlor. She carries physical scars from a violent, racist attack in her past. She serves as a gentle, nurturing confidant for the younger girls in the neighborhood, offering practical advice that contrasts with strict household rules.

Virgie is a first-generation Barbadian immigrant and childhood acquaintance of Deighton Boyce. She frequently visits the Boyce home, bringing gossip and unsolicited parenting advice. She is an active participant in the community's harsh judgments regarding those who fail to acquire property.

Miss Mary is an elderly white woman who rents a room in the Boyce brownstone. She previously worked as a servant for the white family that originally owned the house. She surrounds herself with their leftover belongings and constantly recounts idealized stories of their lives.

Maritze is Miss Mary's unmarried adult daughter. She resents her mother's obsession with the past and feels trapped in their rented room. She harbors a deep sense of grievance and desires to move away to the suburbs, mirroring the era's white flight.

Father Peace is an elderly, charismatic religious leader who commands absolute loyalty from his followers. He demands that his congregants abandon all earthly commitments, including their families, to worship him. He provides a communal space for those who feel alienated by mainstream societal pressures.

The Unnamed Boyce Son was born between the two Boyce daughters and died before his younger sister's birth. He suffered from a congenital heart condition. His early death remains a source of profound, unresolved grief and bitter accusation within the family.

Edgar is a mild-mannered Barbadian-American young man. He represents the safe, conventional path expected of the community's youth, attending church and fitting neatly into the middle-class aspirations of his prospective in-laws.

Rachel is a young white woman who participates in a modern dance club. She recognizes her classmate's natural ability and encourages her to join the group. She acts as a friendly, supportive peer outside the insular Barbadian community.

Cecil is an active speaker and organizer within the Barbadian immigrant community. He rallies his neighbors against the city's housing demolition plans and encourages them to gain political power to protect their interests and property.