- Clare Savage: protagonist, light-skinned, Jamaican; the character around whom the novel revolves; eventually takes part in a guerrilla movement[1]
- Kitty Savage: Clare's mother, slightly darker complexion, has a deep love for Jamaica
- Boy Savage: Clare's father, has very light skin (can pass as white), proudly proclaims his British heritage
- Jennie Savage: Clare's younger sister, has a complexion closer to her mother's
- Fredrick: Clare's uncle, Kitty's brother, helps Clare travel to London and support herself once at the university
- Harry/Harriet: transgender, Clare's close friend, encourages her to come to Jamaica and helps her join the revolutionaries
- Christopher, aka “De Watchman”: servant, or “yardboy”, who kills his employers, legendary figure in Kingston folklore, hired by the film crew to play a small role in their movie
- Bobby: black Vietnam veteran, travels around Europe with Clare, has a wound on his ankle that will not heal
This content is from Wikipedia. GradeSaver is providing this content as a courtesy until we can offer a professionally written study guide by one of our staff editors. We do not consider this content professional or citable. Please use your discretion when relying on it.