Achille is a dedicated fisherman on the island of Saint Lucia who maintains a deep, unyielding connection to the sea. He struggles financially and emotionally, particularly over his strained relationship with his former girlfriend, Helen. His desire to provide for her leads him to undertake desperate measures, such as illegally diving for conch shells and searching for sunken treasure. He experiences a profound identity crisis regarding his African heritage and the history of his ancestors.

Helen is a remarkably beautiful young woman living in Saint Lucia who draws the attention of many men in the community. She recently quit her job as a waitress after refusing to tolerate inappropriate behavior from male tourists, and she previously worked as a housemaid for the Plunketts before a dispute over a yellow dress. Pregnant and fiercely independent, she refuses to bow to the expectations of the men around her.

Major Dennis Plunkett is a white British expatriate and World War II veteran who retired to Saint Lucia to run a pig farm. He isolates himself from other British expatriates on the island, disliking their pompous attitudes. Burdened by his participation in the British military and a deep sense of colonial guilt, he immerses himself in historical research to find a meaningful narrative for the island's people.

Maud Plunkett is Dennis's Irish wife of twenty-five years. She spends much of her time cultivating her orchid garden and meticulously embroidering a large quilt featuring various bird species. Living on Saint Lucia leaves her feeling homesick and isolated, as she often yearns for the seasons and familiar environment of her native Ireland.

Derek is the narrator of the epic, a poet born and raised in Saint Lucia who has spent significant time away from the island pursuing his literary career. He views his homeland through the lens of classical Western literature, struggling to reconcile his education with the post-colonial reality of his people. He travels across the globe, researching the historical traumas of various cultures to better understand his own identity and artistic responsibility.

Hector is a former fisherman who abandons his traditional livelihood to purchase a leopard-print-seated taxi van he nicknames the Comet. He hopes this career change will bring him the financial stability necessary to win Helen's affections. His rivalry with Achille causes tension within the small village community.

Philoctete is a Saint Lucian fisherman plagued by a rotting shin wound caused by a rusted anchor. He believes this unhealing affliction is a physical manifestation of the trauma endured by his enslaved ancestors. He frequently visits the local cafe to drink rum to numb his constant pain while maintaining a deep love for his island home.

Ma Kilman runs the No Pain Cafe, a central gathering place for the village's fishermen. She acts as a caretaker figure for the community, particularly for Philoctete, whom she tries to help manage his chronic pain. She seeks traditional ancestral knowledge to find a natural remedy for his affliction.

Seven Seas is a blind village elder who serves as a local equivalent to the ancient Greek bard Homer. Having lost his sight to disease, he relies on a heightened sense of hearing to understand the world around him. He possesses a deep understanding of the island and offers guidance to the younger generation.

Warwick is Derek's deceased father, who appears to his son as a spectral presence. In life, he fostered a love for reading and the classics after discovering a literary collection in a local barbershop. He urges his son to travel and bear witness to the history of their people through writing.

Afolabe is Achille's ancestor from Africa who was enslaved and brought to the Caribbean. During a hallucinatory vision, Achille encounters him in a traditional African village, where they conversed about the meaning of names and the importance of remembering one's heritage.

Midshipman Plunkett is a young British naval officer and distant ancestor of Dennis Plunkett. He serves under Admiral Rodney and participates in the Battle of the Saints. Dennis develops a historical obsession with him, treating the deceased soldier as a surrogate son.

Statics is a fisherman and mechanic who decides to run for political office on a platform advocating for workers' rights. He speaks a mixture of American English and local patois, touring the island in Hector's van to hand out pamphlets and candy before his campaign falters.

Catherine Weldon is a nineteenth-century Swiss-American activist who worked as a secretary for Sitting Bull. Derek studies her life as a parallel to his own exploration of post-colonial trauma, finding inspiration in her advocacy for the Plains Indians against governmental betrayal.

Antigone is Derek's former romantic partner, a woman from Greece who misses her homeland. Her presence and cultural background inspire Derek's initial interest in classical Greek literature and his eventual project to write an epic poem.

Christine is Ma Kilman's niece who comes to town for a visit. Derek observes her and notes that she possesses a youthful beauty that reminds him of a new generation's Helen.