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Characters

• Stephen Kumalo: A native priest who attempts to reconstruct the disintegrating tribe and his own family. The 1984 foreword reveals he was illiterate until age 11 and had trouble forming his Rs during his life.
• Theophilus Msimangu: A priest from Johannesburg who helps Kumalo find his son Absalom
• John Kumalo: Stephen's brother who denies the tribal validity and who becomes a spokesman for the new movement in the city; a carpenter.
• Absalom Kumalo: Stephen's son who left home to look for Stephen's sister Gertrude, and who ends up committing a murder.
• Gertrude Kumalo: The young sister of Stephen who becomes a prostitute in the large city and leads a dissolute life.
• James Jarvis: A wealthy landowner whose son is murdered and who comes to the realization of the guilt of whites residents in such crimes.
• Arthur Jarvis: Murdered by Absalom Kumalo, he is the son James Jarvis, who does not appear in the novel but whose racial views are highly significant and influential.
• Dubala: a big man who was the "heart" of anything and everything he did. Including wanting peace between the races.
• Mr. Carmichael: Absalom's lawyer; he takes his case as "pro deo", which means for God.
• Father Vincent: The priest from England who helps Stephen in his troubles.
• Mrs. Lithebe: The native landlady with whom Stephen stays while in Johannesburg.
• The Harrisons: The father and son represent two opposing views concerning the racial problem. The father represents the traditional view and the son the more liberal view. The father is also Arthur's father-in-law.
• The Girl [Absalom's wife]: A teenage girl approximately 16 years old impregnated by Absalom, whom he later marries.
• Ryan Hyatt: The mortician who takes care of Arthur Jarvis's body after he is shot (never mentioned by name in the book).