The narrator of the story, Rukmani is a resilient traditional woman who marries a poor tenant farmer because her family cannot afford a large dowry. She quickly adapts to her new life in a mud hut, finding purpose in growing vegetables and tending to her growing family. She views the rapid industrialization of her village with suspicion, preferring the quiet stability of agricultural life. Her primary drive is securing food and safety for her children during frequent droughts and hardships.

A hardworking tenant farmer who holds onto the dream of one day owning the land he cultivates. He balances Rukmani's anxieties with a steady, forward-looking optimism. He takes deep pride in his physical labor and remains hopeful even when monsoons or droughts destroy their crops. He is highly adaptable, encouraging his wife to bend like grass to survive changes they cannot control.

A white traveling doctor who visits the village to establish a medical practice. He frequently expresses frustration at the villagers' quiet endurance of their suffering, believing they should demand better conditions. He offers fertility treatments to Rukmani and attempts to bring modern medical infrastructure to the rural community.

A village woman who differs from Rukmani's community-focused mindset. She values her physical beauty and eagerly welcomes the new tannery, believing it will bring wealth. When resources grow scarce, she resorts to extortion to ensure her own family's survival at the expense of others.

Unlike his father and older brothers, Selvam has no aptitude for agricultural work. He rejects the traditional farming path, choosing instead to assist the local doctor in building and running a hospital. He approaches marginalized people with compassion, judging them far less harshly than the rest of the community does.

Rukmani and Nathan's eldest child. She is raised to be a traditional wife but faces severe social stigma when she struggles to conceive a child during her first year of marriage. She proves immensely devoted to her younger siblings, making extreme personal sacrifices to afford medicine and food for them.

An orphaned child living on the streets of the city. He lacks fingers but survives the urban environment with sharp intelligence and resourcefulness. He offers to guide newly arrived villagers in exchange for eventual compensation.

An elderly, single woman who survives by acting as a go-between and merchant in the village. She arranges the marriage match for Irawaddy and relies on the goodwill of her community, having no family of her own to support her.

The eldest son of the family. As he grows older, he recognizes the financial limitations of tenant farming and becomes one of the first local youths to take a wage-paying job at the tannery.

Following in his older brother's footsteps, he abandons agricultural work to earn money at the newly constructed tannery. He eventually becomes involved in labor disputes, demanding fair compensation from the overseers.

One of Rukmani's sons who decides to leave the agrarian village entirely. He secures a position as a servant in a distant city, seeking a more stable life away from the unpredictable harvests of his hometown.

A son who works to support the family as the tannery grows in power. He struggles to find a secure place in the shifting environment, illustrating the severe risks the industrial facility poses to the local youth.

A child born late in Rukmani's life during a period of extreme scarcity. His frail health becomes a central concern for his older sister, who takes extreme measures to afford his care.

Irawaddy's son, notable for his fair skin and pink eyes. His albinism marks him as different from the rest of the village, leading to social isolation from the other children.

A boisterous, highly vocal neighbor who helps out around Rukmani's house. She enthusiastically supports the construction of the tannery, viewing the crowds and noise as exciting improvements to the village.

A local merchant and moneylender. He profits from the villagers' desperation during droughts and the inflation caused by the tannery, consistently looking to maximize his own financial gain.

The agent for the absentee landowner who owns Nathan's farm. He performs a difficult job, enforcing rent collection even during droughts, but occasionally bends the rules to give the farmers extra time.