Johnson is a working-class Black man living in 1940s Harlem who pushes a cart for ten-hour night shifts in a factory. He deals with chronic physical pain from his labor and the heavy psychological toll of systemic racism and economic exploitation. He takes pride in his personal moral code—specifically his belief that he would never strike a woman—but experiences intense, physical reactions of anger in response to the social stressors of his environment.

Mae is Johnson's wife, a factory worker who shares the burden of night shifts and a long commute from their Harlem home. She maintains a warm, lighthearted sense of humor and frequently attempts to lift her husband's dark moods with jokes and gentle teasing. She holds superstitious beliefs, particularly regarding leaving the house on Friday the thirteenth, and enjoys listening to the radio after a long shift.

Mrs. Scott is the white foreman at the factory where Johnson works. She holds prejudiced views against the Black factory workers, believing them to be chronically late and dismissive of the grueling physical labor they endure. She wields her economic and racial authority aggressively, using derogatory language, but quickly retreats behind a facade of vulnerability when she feels physically threatened.

The Girl Serving Coffee is an unnamed restaurant worker managing a long line of commuters. She routinely tosses her hair back off her neck while working. Though simply performing her job, her inability to serve coffee immediately makes her an unwitting target for the intense frustrations of the workers she serves.