Delia is a devoutly Christian, hardworking washerwoman who lives in 1920s Florida. She takes immense pride in her grueling labor, which provides financial stability and pays for her home, pony, and buckboard. She endures severe cruelty from her jobless husband, though she reaches a breaking point where she begins to defend her livelihood and property.

Sykes is Delia's cruel and jobless husband. He relies entirely on his wife's income while simultaneously resenting her work, particularly because she washes clothes for white families in their segregated community. He deliberately terrorizes Delia and flaunts his infidelity to force her out of the home she paid for.

Bertha is a woman carrying on an open, highly visible affair with Sykes Jones. She possesses the heavier body type that Sykes prefers over his wife's slender frame. Sykes uses her presence in the community as a weapon to damage Delia's social standing.

The men who gather at the local storefront represent the broader Eatonville community. They observe the daily routines of the town's residents and openly discuss the disintegration of the Jones marriage. While they harbor strong opinions about domestic matters, they remain passive bystanders to the ongoing violence.