Captain John G. Bourke functions as a deuteragonist and a complex foil to the Cheyenne world. As a handsome, intelligent, and honorable officer in the US Army, he represents the most refined aspects of “civilized” society, yet he is also an agent of its destructive expansionist policies. Bourke is a round but largely static character; his internal conflicts are central to his role, but his fundamental worldview remains unchanged. He is an “amateur ethnographer” (50) with a genuine intellectual curiosity about Indigenous cultures, yet he is ultimately bound by the prejudices of his era. His perspective embodies the theme of Cultural Incomprehension and the Failure of Assimilation, as he can appreciate the humanity of the Cheyenne while simultaneously viewing their way of life as inherently inferior and doomed. His learning tends to categorize rather than interrogate power; observation does not lead to structural critique. He treats fatalism as prudence, which licenses obedience when judgment would require refusal.

Bourke’s character is defined by this internal contradiction. He expresses a deep-seated pessimism about the contact between cultures, stating his belief that “in spite of three hundred years of contact with civilization, the American Indian has never learned anything from us but our vices” (51). He is privately contemptuous of the “Brides for Indians” program, viewing it as a “preposterous political experiment” (54), and he feels a personal responsibility for May’s safety, whom he recognizes as a woman of intelligence and breeding. His romantic attraction to May, rooted in a shared appreciation for Shakespeare and witty repartee, stands in stark contrast to the more practical and primal union she forms with Little Wolf. This connection makes him May’s most potent link to the life she left behind and the embodiment of a “civilized” love that is ultimately unavailable to her.

Despite his personal misgivings and his affection for May, Bourke remains a soldier duty-bound to a system he knows is hypocritical and brutal. He follows orders, even when they conflict with his conscience. This tragic loyalty culminates in the novel’s climax, where, acting on flawed intelligence provided by the treacherous scout Jules Seminole, he leads the attack on Little Wolf’s peaceful village. In this final, devastating act, Bourke’s character arc is completed. He is not a one-dimensional villain but a good man serving a destructive cause, his actions proving that even the most honorable members of “civilized” society are ultimately instruments of its violent and uncompromising agenda. His story underscores the idea that individual decency is often powerless against the machinery of institutional hypocrisy.

The great Cheyenne “Sweet Medicine Chief,” Little Wolf is a deuteragonist who serves as the catalyst for the novel’s entire premise. He is a round, static character who embodies the dignity, pragmatism, and fierce independence of the Cheyenne people as they confront the overwhelming encroachment of white civilization. His character is seen almost exclusively through May’s journals, and as such, he is perceived as a stoic and formidable leader who is also capable of gentleness and patience. He functions as a foil to Captain Bourke, representing an alternative form of leadership and masculinity rooted in communal duty rather than individual ambition or institutional hierarchy.

Little Wolf’s defining trait is a pragmatic wisdom that is logical within his own cultural framework but incomprehensible to the white authorities. His initial proposal to President Grant, requesting 1,000 white women as brides, is not a “savage” demand but a “perfectly rational plan” (7) for survival. Understanding that the Cheyenne are a matrilineal society where children belong to the mother’s tribe, he sees intermarriage as the most effective path to assimilation, a way to ensure “the People survive” by making their children “members of your tribe” (8). This proposal immediately establishes the profound chasm between white and Cheyenne worldviews, a central element of the theme of cultural incomprehension and the failure of assimilation. He is a leader who seeks peace and a future for his people, but on terms that respect Cheyenne tradition and logic.

As May’s husband, Little Wolf represents her entry into this new world. Their relationship, which begins as a political arrangement, develops into one of mutual respect and quiet affection. He is patient with her unconventional behavior, such as her insistence on swimming with the men, and eventually comes to value her counsel. As the Sweet Medicine Chief, his primary responsibility is to his people, a selfless duty that sometimes conflicts with personal desires, as seen in his refusal to punish Jules Seminole, an act forbidden by tribal law. His leadership is not one of absolute command but of moral guidance and adherence to sacred tradition. Through his steadfast dignity in the face of betrayal and impending doom, Little Wolf represents the tragic nobility of a people facing annihilation.

Phemie Washington is a striking and formidable character whose experience as an escaped slave provides a powerful parallel to the plight of the Cheyenne. A tall, statuesque Black woman, she is fiercely independent, deeply proud, and refuses to be subjugated by any patriarchal system, white or Cheyenne. Her backstory of enslavement and her journey to freedom via the Underground Railroad inform her sharp critique of the US government’s policies, as she equates the reservation system with another form of bondage. Phemie serves as a key embodiment of the theme of female agency in patriarchal systems. From the moment she arrives in the Cheyenne camp, she rejects traditional “women’s work,” declaring her intention to become a hunter and warrior. Her prowess and courage earn her a place in the “Crazy Dogs” warrior society, an unprecedented honor that subverts the gender roles of both cultures. Phemie’s steadfast refusal to be defined or controlled by others makes her a symbol of radical self-determination and a constant source of strength and inspiration for the other women.

Helen Elizabeth Flight is an eccentric English ornithologist and artist who joins the “Brides for Indians” program as a means to fund her research for a book on American birds. A flat but memorable character, she functions as a representation of scientific intellectualism and a striking example of 19th-century gender nonconformity. Dressed in a “man’s knickerbocker suit” (27) and rarely seen without her pipe, Helen maintains a scholarly detachment, often viewing the most dramatic or terrifying events with an air of delighted, scientific curiosity. Her artistic talent is interpreted by the Cheyenne as powerful “medicine,” earning her a unique and respected status within the tribe. She is commissioned to paint protective bird symbols on warriors and their horses, an act that highlights the theme of cultural incomprehension as her art is imbued with a spiritual power that she, as a scientist, does not personally recognize. Helen’s character demonstrates how professional ambition and a subversion of traditional gender roles can create an alternative path to agency and influence.

Martha Atwood is May’s loyal friend and confidante from the Lake Forest Lunatic Asylum. A kind-hearted, timid, and “homely as a stick” (30) woman, she initially represents the conventional and naive 19th-century woman who is ill-prepared for the harsh realities of frontier life. Her primary motivation for joining the program is her devotion to May, making her a symbol of female friendship and solidarity. Martha is a dynamic and round character whose journey is one of profound personal transformation. Initially clumsy and fearful, earning the name “Falls Down Woman,” she gradually adapts to her new life, finding a strength and confidence she never possessed in the “civilized” world. Her marriage to the warrior Tangle Hair, while initially intimidating, becomes a source of genuine contentment. By the end of the novel, Martha has shed her timidity, learning to ride bareback and fully embracing her role as a Cheyenne wife and mother, demonstrating the unexpected ways in which women could find liberation and selfhood outside the confines of their own society.

Margaret and Susan Kelly are red-headed, freckle-faced identical twins from Chicago’s Irish underclass who join the program to escape a 10-year prison sentence for “Prostitution and Grand Theft” (31). Functioning as a single unit, they are classic rogue archetypes: witty, audacious, and endlessly pragmatic. They use their street smarts and cheeky bravado to navigate their new environment, quickly establishing a gambling enterprise and generally treating the entire affair as a grand, if dangerous, adventure. Their status as twins is considered “good medicine” by the Cheyenne, granting them a special standing that they exploit with their characteristic cunning. The Kelly sisters represent the resilience and survival instincts of the lower classes, using their wits not for moral crusades or intellectual pursuits, but for tangible gain and self-preservation. Their presence underscores the diverse origins of the women, reinforcing the idea that the program drew from all of society’s outcasts.

Daisy Lovelace is a Southern woman of “ruined gentry” (32) who is initially defined by her overt racism and cynical demeanor. Accompanied by her ancient poodle, Fern Louise, she constantly sips from a flask of “nuurve medicine” (33) and treats Phemie with open contempt, embodying the unrepentant prejudices of the Old South. However, Daisy is a dynamic character who undergoes a significant transformation. After she is brutally gang-raped during a night of drunken chaos in the camp, her proud and bitter exterior shatters. In the aftermath of this trauma, she forms an unlikely but deep friendship with Phemie, the very woman she once scorned. This evolution suggests that shared suffering and female solidarity can transcend even the most deeply ingrained social hatreds. Daisy’s journey from a bigoted aristocrat to a woman capable of genuine cross-racial friendship illustrates a capacity for personal change, even amidst the larger cultural tragedy.

Jules Seminole is the novel’s primary antagonist, a half-Cheyenne, half-white man who embodies the worst qualities of both cultures. He is a depraved and predatory figure who uses his cultural knowledge for manipulation and personal gain. He speaks Cheyenne, French, and English, allowing him to navigate and exploit every situation. Seminole introduces whiskey into the peaceful Cheyenne camp, triggering a night of horrific violence and debauchery that serves as a pivotal turning point in the narrative. His status as Little Wolf’s nephew-in-law protects him from tribal justice, as Cheyenne law forbids the chief from harming a relative. This makes him an untouchable and persistent threat, particularly to May, whom he relentlessly torments. Seminole represents the destructive consequences of cultural collision without a moral compass, a man who belongs to two worlds but is loyal to none, using his hybrid identity only for malice. Ultimately, he serves as the scout who leads the US Army to the wrong village, directly causing the final massacre.

Narcissa White is an “evangelical Episcopalian” (38) who joins the program under the auspices of the American Church Missionary Society. She is a flat, static character who serves as a potent symbol of religious hypocrisy. Utterly convinced of her moral and spiritual superiority, she has no intention of fulfilling her part of the “Brides for Indians” bargain, viewing her mission solely as an opportunity to save the souls of the “heathens” by converting them. She is contemptuous of both the Cheyenne and the other white women, particularly May, whom she views as a threat to her moral authority. Narcissa’s sanctimonious and intolerant brand of Christianity stands in stark contrast to the genuine humility of Brother Anthony and the complex spirituality of the Cheyenne themselves. Her presence highlights the theme of the hypocrisy of white society, representing a faith that is rigid, judgmental, and ultimately powerless in the face of the frontier’s complex realities.

Sara Johnstone is a “pretty, timid little creature” (30) from the mental healthcare facility who is nonverbal. She represents the ultimate victim of the “civilized” world, a child broken by an unknown trauma. In the Cheyenne camp, she blossoms, finding her voice by learning to speak Cheyenne and falling in love with her young husband, Yellow Wolf. Her tragic murder at the hands of Crow abductors is a devastating blow, symbolizing the destruction of innocence.

Reverend Hare, the corpulent and indolent Episcopal missionary, is a figure of ridicule who represents the failures of institutional religion. His cowardice during the whiskey-fueled riot and his eventual disgrace for pedophilia expose the moral bankruptcy underlying the church’s civilizing mission. He is a stark contrast to the humble and genuinely devout Brother Anthony, a Benedictine monk who later joins the group and earns the respect of the Cheyenne through his quiet faith and self-denial.