The speaker is a Chinese immigrant adapting to a new linguistic and cultural environment. He experiences a sense of isolation as an imperfect speaker of both his native Chinese and his new language, English. As he grows into adulthood, he forms deep connections between words, physical sensations, and memories, particularly through the sensory experience of eating persimmons.

Mrs. Walker is the speaker’s sixth-grade teacher. She demands strict, academic accuracy in English and exhibits frustration when her students make mistakes. Her rigidity prevents her from appreciating cultural differences, leading her to mislabel a persimmon as a "Chinese apple" and slice it improperly instead of peeling it.

The speaker's father is a man who gradually loses his vision but retains a powerful physical memory of the world. He sits in the cellar and communicates with his son about his fading sensory experiences. An artist who paints on silk, he holds onto the texture and weight of persimmons long after he can no longer see the fruit itself.

Donna is a young woman who shares an intimate, outdoor encounter with the speaker. She serves as a receptive audience for his playful attempts to recall and teach her Chinese words. Her presence allows the speaker to use language as a tool for connection and seduction rather than academic testing.

The speaker's mother provides a nurturing presence in his childhood memories. She conceptualizes language and objects through rich, loving metaphors, famously telling her son that every persimmon has a sun inside. Her approach to the world contrasts sharply with the rigid academic environment of the speaker's school.