Henry operates a barbershop in Jefferson, Mississippi, during a severe 62-day drought. He serves as a voice of restraint when the local men begin discussing unverified rumors about an attack on a white woman. Because he personally knows both the accuser and the accused, he questions the gossip and urges the townspeople to wait for the authorities. He faces immediate backlash from his clients for defending a Black man.

John is a heavy-set World War I veteran who previously served as a military commander in France. He uses his status as a war hero to command the men of Jefferson and quickly takes charge of an angry mob. He aggressively dismisses any need for evidence, insisting that Southern honor requires immediate retaliation against any perceived slight toward a white woman.

Minnie is an unmarried white woman approaching forty who lives with her mother and elderly aunt. Once a popular figure in Jefferson's social scene, she now finds herself largely alienated from her married peers. She spends her days following a rigid routine that includes resting on her porch and wearing sheer voile dresses for afternoon walks downtown. Her single status makes her a frequent target of local gossip.

Will is a Black man who earns his living as the night watchman at the local ice factory. He becomes the central target of a vicious rumor spreading through Jefferson. Because of the era's severe racial prejudices, his actual guilt or innocence is entirely ignored by the growing mob. He finds himself in extreme danger solely due to his race and the accusations of a white woman.

Mrs. McLendon keeps a clean, birdcage-like home for her husband John. She experiences extreme heat and anxiety, staying awake late into the night. Her domestic life is heavily constrained by her husband's volatile temper and aggressive nature.