A defiant novelist who lives alone in a house built over an unstable, hollowed-out gold mine. She rejects a request to write a children's story, preferring to set her own boundaries as a writer. Her active imagination turns ordinary structural noises into potential threats, prompting her to tell herself a bedtime story to manage her anxiety.

A faceless, formless threat that personifies the anxieties of the white characters in both the framing narrative and the fairy tale. The characters believe he is creeping up stairs or scaling walls to threaten their personal wealth. His existence in the minds of the suburban residents drives them to install increasingly extreme physical barriers.

A loving father in the narrator's bedtime story who initially trusts the basic security of their neighborhood watch. He dismisses the need for extra defense early on, relying on the physical distance of the anti-apartheid protests in the townships. Over time, he gives in to his spouse's escalating paranoia and invests in electronic gates, alarms, and razor wire.

A suburban mother who becomes increasingly obsessed with the threat of outside violence. She demonstrates superficial compassion by wanting to offer bread to unemployed people, but insists her domestic staff deliver it. Her escalating paranoia drives the family's continuous upgrades to their home security system.

A vibrant, imaginative child who remains innocent of the racial tensions and violence surrounding his neighborhood. He views his parents' intimidating security installations as exciting new toys, using the intercom as a walkie-talkie. His playtime frequently mimics the hero-and-villain dynamics his parents act out in reality.

A Black domestic worker who aligns her loyalties with her white employers rather than the unemployed people from her own township. She views the jobless individuals outside the gates as thugs and fears they will harm her. Her position grants her a higher socioeconomic status than the protestors, which she guards carefully.

The husband's mother, who passes down generational prejudices and defensive habits. She encourages the family's isolation by paying for extra bricks to raise their compound wall as a Christmas present. She frequently gifts her grandson items that fuel his active imagination, including a book of fairy tales.

An itinerant worker who maintains the family's suburban yard. Like the housemaid, he requires a special work pass to enter the white neighborhood and is considered highly recommended by his employers.