Crazy Jane is an aging, lower-class Irish woman who wanders the roads and carries a deep connection to the physical aspects of life. Though society labels her as mad and the local clergy views her as withered, she possesses a sharp intellect and a lived understanding of human existence. She draws her spiritual authority from bodily experiences rather than institutional religion, embodying the natural forces of Irish folk culture.

The Bishop is a celibate clergyman who represents religious authority, hierarchy, and societal privilege. He maintains a highly critical view of the physical body, viewing it as a vessel of sin, and advocates for a detached, purified afterlife. Lacking pastoral warmth, he speaks down to those he views as beneath him, particularly lower-class individuals who do not conform to his strict moral codes.

Jack is Jane's beloved companion whose absence leaves a profound mark on her life. Though deceased, his memory drives Jane's understanding of devotion, physical connection, and the intertwined nature of love and suffering. He represents a grounded, authentic humanity that directly opposes the rigid spiritualism of the religious authorities in Jane's world.