Ann is a farmer's wife living in a tiny two-room house on a remote prairie homestead. After seven years of marriage, she struggles with intense isolation during the harsh winters. She desires youth, entertainment, and socialization, differing greatly from her husband's intense focus on paying off their mortgage. To pass the time and distract herself from the oppressive quiet, she decides to paint the interior woodwork of their home.

John is a hardworking homesteader who has been married to Ann for seven years. Physically described as thickset and stooped, he prioritizes utility over appearance—such as refusing to shave to protect his skin from the bitter wind. He focuses heavily on financial security and paying off the farm's mortgage, often working long hours and taking on all the farm labor himself to provide for his wife.

Steven is a handsome neighbor who lives a mile away from John and Ann's homestead. He is clean-shaven and highly confident around women. Ann remembers dancing with him several times at a schoolhouse event years earlier, and he represents a break from the isolation of rural farm life.

John's elderly father lives on a farm five miles away from John and Ann's homestead. His vulnerability during the harsh winter weather prompts John to undertake a dangerous trek across the impassable roads, leaving Ann alone for the day.