Bernard is a sociable and extroverted youth from a wealthy English family. He enjoys making up phrases and telling stories as a way to connect with the people around him and define his own reality. Naturally confident and comfortable in his environment, he aspires to be a writer but relies heavily on the constant presence of his friends to maintain his sense of self.

Louis is the intelligent and deeply self-conscious son of an Australian banker. Acutely aware of his accent and differing socio-economic background, he fears rejection from his upper-class English peers. To protect himself, he frequently intellectualizes his emotions and strives to prove his superiority through academic excellence.

Neville is an observant and physically frail boy from a wealthy background. He requires order and authenticity in his life, aspiring to be a poet who captures genuine emotion without unnecessary artifice. He experiences intense, passionate feelings that he feels compelled to keep hidden from the wider society, finding solace in the beauty of the world and his precise use of language.

Rhoda is a deeply sensitive and anxious girl whose father has passed away. She struggles to find meaning in her surroundings, notoriously losing her grasp on reality during a childhood math lesson. Feeling that she lacks a solid identity of her own, she frequently observes her peers in an attempt to learn how to exist comfortably in the world.

Jinny is a vibrant and physically confident girl who lives with her grandmother. She discovers her physical presence early on, experiencing the world primarily through sensory details and bodily pleasure. Pragmatic and entirely comfortable in her own skin, she looks forward to entering high society and expressing her identity through movement and physical connection.

Susan is the daughter of a clergyman, characterized by her fierce attachment to her rural home and family land. She experiences emotions with raw intensity, feeling immediate agony when she feels left out. Resisting the artificiality of boarding school and city life, she possesses a firm sense of what she wants: a quiet, rooted existence in communion with the natural world.

Percival is an attractive, universally admired athlete at the boys' boarding school. He possesses a natural, effortless charisma that automatically draws the other characters to him, serving as a quiet leader and an ideal figure in their minds. He does not overexplain his experiences, providing a straightforward grounding presence for his more introspective peers.

Dr. Crane is the headmaster at the school the boys attend. His lectures serve as an early catalyst for the boys to realize their differing approaches to language, authority, and tradition.