Ernest is the son of a strict clergyman, growing up as a compliant and trusting boy burdened by his family's rigid religious expectations. Given an overly serious name by his grandfather, he struggles to measure up to the ideals forced upon him. He lacks natural academic motivation but possesses a deep fondness for music and a gradually awakening desire to think for himself.

A writer and the narrator of the novel. As Ernest's godfather, he observes the Pontifex family dynamics with a skeptical eye. He holds a laid-back, humorous view of the world and acts as a supportive presence for Ernest when the young man's family proves overbearing.

Ernest's father and a rural clergyman in the Church of England. Pressured into his profession by his own father, Theobald grows into a harsh and willfully isolated man. He relies on physical punishment to force his children into obedience and clings strictly to orthodox religious practices.

Ernest's mother and Theobald's wife. She possesses a vivid imagination and harbors grand religious aspirations for herself and her family. While she considers herself deeply loving, she frequently uses emotional manipulation to control her children and align them with her ideals.

Ernest's aunt and godmother. Unlike her brother Theobald, she is an unconventional thinker who values liveliness and affection. Independent and philosophically opposed to marriage, she takes a keen interest in Ernest's well-being and seeks to encourage his passions rather than suppress them.

The esteemed headmaster of Ernest's boarding school. He enjoys a high reputation for turning out successful students, but his dramatic mannerisms and strict enforcement of rules make him an intimidating figure to the boys under his care.

A pretty young woman hired as a servant by the Pontifex family. She draws Ernest's fond attention during his youth, and her precarious position in the household places her at the center of a moral crisis for the strictly religious family.

A well-bred, graceful acquaintance of Ernest from university. He represents an ideal of the "perfect gentleman" that Ernest deeply admires. Towneley navigates life with an ease, confidence, and natural charm that eludes Ernest.

The senior curate who heavily influences Ernest. A proponent of high-church worship, Pryer advocates treating the church as a spiritual hospital and treats the study of sin as a quasi-scientific pursuit, masking his own hypocrisies under the guise of religious research.

Ernest's talkative, friendly landlady in Ashpit Place. As a working-class woman with practical wisdom, she proves to be an astute judge of character and watches over her tenants with a sharp, slightly cynical eye.

Ernest's grandfather. He rises from a quiet village background to become a wealthy publisher of religious texts. A heavy drinker and a harsh, overbearing parent, he sets the template for the strict family dynamics that plague his descendants.

Ernest's great-grandfather. A humble, capable village carpenter who dabbles in music and builds organs. He provides a stark contrast to the rigid, status-obsessed generations that follow him.

John Pontifex's strong-willed wife and George's mother. She celebrates her son's social ascent and upward mobility with great pride.

Ernest's younger brother. Raised in the same strict household, he conforms to his parents' expectations much more readily than his brother, eventually finding his own place in the church hierarchy.

Ernest's younger sister. Like her brother Joey, she absorbs the religious rigidity of her household and grows into a proper, somewhat condescending woman who often butts heads with Ernest.

An intense, charismatic visiting clergyman whose manipulative and stirring rhetoric deeply impacts the university students who hear him preach.

Theobald's coachman. He maintains a quiet presence around the rectory but harbors a strong sense of justice regarding how the servants and children are treated by their employers.

A resident in Ernest's building. Her interactions with Ernest when he attempts to preach to his neighbors lead to serious trouble for his future.

A young woman living in Ernest's building. Ernest struggles to figure out his religious duties and personal feelings when attempting to speak with her.

A practical-minded tinker living in Ernest's neighborhood. He easily exposes the weaknesses in Ernest's religious logic during their conversations.

The wife of Dr. Skinner. She helps maintain the severe, theatrical atmosphere of her husband's household, playing along with his self-important habits.

A rector in a nearby village and Christina's father. He actively seeks a clergyman to marry off one of his five unmarried daughters, setting up the circumstances that lead to Theobald's marriage.

Christina's mother. She works strategically to ensure her daughters secure respectable marriages within the church, networking with friends to find suitable candidates.