Frank is a young father and husband working a white-collar job at Knox Business Machines in New York City. Though he outwardly disdains the conformity of the 1950s suburban lifestyle and considers himself an intellectual, he secretly craves the validation and stability it provides. He struggles with his definition of masculinity, frequently comparing his own pale hands to the strong, sensitive hands of his salesman father. He vacillates between wanting to escape his life and wanting to succeed within the corporate structure.

April is a strikingly beautiful woman who experienced a transient childhood raised by various aunts. She feels profoundly confined by her life as a suburban housewife and mother, having abandoned her early acting ambitions. She actively desires personal freedom and hatches a plan to move her family to Paris to escape the restrictive expectations of 1950s American domesticity.

Shep is a mechanical engineer and a decorated World War II paratrooper. Having actively rebelled against his mother's intellectual upbringing to become a stereotypical tough guy, he now successfully embodies the 1950s masculine ideal. He lives near the Wheelers and views their bohemian past with fascination while quietly growing bored with his own domestic routine.

John is a former mathematics professor who currently resides at the Greenacres psychiatric hospital. He possesses a sharp, unfiltered intellect and serves as a blunt truth-teller who points out the hypocrisies of suburban life. His aggressive honesty strips away the polite fictions maintained by his parents and neighbors.

Milly is a contented housewife and mother who embraces the safety and routine of suburban Connecticut. She gossips to fill awkward silences and acts as a stabilizing force for her husband. She represents the quintessential 1950s homemaker ideal that April actively rejects.

Helen is the local real estate agent who acts as a cheerful gatekeeper for the neighborhood. She lives in a historic colonial home and works constantly to project an image of perfect, smiling happiness. She uses her strong Protestant work ethic as a distraction from the personal difficulties involving her institutionalized son.

Howard is a quiet, retired man who embraces a dull but secure existence. He actively avoids conflict and unpleasantness, primarily by physically tuning out his environment rather than confronting issues directly.

Maureen is a young, independent woman who moved to the city after a brief, failed marriage. She shares an apartment with a roommate and enjoys her freedom. She finds herself the target of Frank's attentions during a workday lunch.

Bart is an executive at Knox Business Machines who represents the quintessential American salesman. He recognizes Frank's potential and dangles the promise of promotions and a higher salary, complicating Frank's desire to leave the corporate world.

Jennifer is Frank and April's young daughter. She lives an isolated life in the Connecticut suburbs, largely kept out of her parents' complex marital struggles and philosophical debates.

Michael is Frank and April's young son. He spends his days in the background of his parents' lives, occasionally getting reprimanded by his stressed father and seeking comfort from his mother.

Jack is a colleague of Frank's at Knox Business Machines. He represents the standard office worker who views non-traditional ambitions with skepticism and practicality.

Norma is an independent, sharp-witted woman living in the city. She easily sees through masculine posturing and serves as a guiding figure for her younger roommate.