Seventeen-year-old Cassandra is an observant aspiring author who uses her journal to document her eccentric family and practice her narrative craft. She feels a deep, grounding attachment to her decaying home and the surrounding English countryside. Unlike her sister, she values intellectual development and emotional honesty over material wealth. She acts as the quiet chronicler of her family's schemes to escape poverty, preferring to observe rather than manipulate.

At twenty-one, Rose feels her youth and remarkable beauty are being entirely wasted in isolation at Godsend Castle. She detests the family's severe poverty and explicitly models her behavior on the marriage-focused heroines of Victorian literature. When the wealthy Cotton brothers arrive, she immediately begins modulating her personality to attract their romantic interest, viewing marriage as a financial transaction.

James is the formerly celebrated author of the modernist novel Jacob Wrestling. Following a brief imprisonment for a dispute with neighbors and the death of his first wife, he has completely lost his creative confidence. He currently refuses to work, forcing his family to live in extreme poverty while he isolates himself from society.

Simon is a wealthy, American-raised academic who recently inherited the Scoatney Hall estate. He sports a distinctive black beard and speaks with a quiet Boston accent. Possessing a profound respect for English history and literature, he immediately recognizes James Mortmain as a literary icon and finds the family's eccentric lifestyle fascinating.

Raised in California, Neil is a blunt and pragmatic young man with blonde, curly hair. He possesses little patience for English traditionalism and hopes to return to America to start a ranch. He quickly sees through affectations and artificial behavior, making him highly critical of those who put on airs for social gain.

Topaz is an artist's model who married James Mortmain after meeting him at a London party. Strikingly beautiful with pale skin and long hair, she possesses a deeply eccentric nature and frequently walks nude in the rain to commune with the elements. She acts as a stabilizing force in the household, willingly enduring poverty out of devotion to her husband.

Stephen is the son of the Mortmains' deceased housekeeper who continues to live with the family. Exceptionally handsome with fair features, he hands over his wages from a local farm to prevent the Mortmains from starving. He is selfless and intensely devoted to the family, viewing himself as a protector despite his working-class background.

Thomas is the fifteen-year-old youngest child of the Mortmain family. He attends school in King's Crypt and helps around the castle, largely observing the romantic and financial anxieties of his older sisters without taking an active role in their schemes.

Mrs. Cotton is the wealthy, American mother of Simon and Neil. She is an enthusiastic literary scholar who speaks with a boldness that startles English society. She holds a deep reverence for the arts and takes an immediate interest in James Mortmain's dormant career.

Miss Marcy serves as both the village schoolteacher and librarian. She is a practical, well-meaning local who worries about the Mortmains' dire financial situation and tries to offer discreet charity. She acts as a sounding board for the women of the castle when they brainstorm ways to earn an income.

Leda is an English relative of the Cottons who works as a prominent visual artist and photographer in London. She possesses a sharp, critical eye and a somewhat condescending manner toward rural people. She is constantly searching for fresh artistic subjects to bring back to her city studio.