Main characters
Twyla - Twyla is the narrator and one the main character’s of the story. In the story's opening, Twyla is introduced as an eight year old girl that was brought to an orphanage because her mother frequently neglected her. Her mother managed to instill prejudice and bias in her against individuals who are the same race of Roberta. Twyla is described as having resentment and rage towards her mother for abandoning her that she shows in her reflections and comparisons of other characters and her mother. However, throughout the story, Twyla's character develops into a more understanding and open-minded individual because of her friendship with Roberta and her experiences at the orphanage. Twyla shows significant growth, emotionally and socially, throughout the story.
Roberta - Roberta is the other main character, alongside Twyla. Similar to Twyla, Roberta’s mother brought her to the orphanage because she is ill and incapable of caring for her. However, Roberta was not as neglected as Twyla was as Roberta's mother would bring Roberta food to the shelter during visits, unlike Twyla's mother. Roberta also comes from a wealthy socioeconomic background, unlike Twyla. Nevertheless, Roberta harbors resentment towards her because her mother could not properly care for her. However, she takes her resentment out on Maggie as she yearns to hurt Maggie because Maggie's illness is seemingly similar to her mother's. As the story develops, Roberta becomes increasingly critical of Twyla and her attitude towards Roberta's lifestyle as well as Twyla's prejudice. Compared to Twyla, Roberta's character is unstable as she constantly struggles with her identity throughout the short story.
Minor characters
Maggie - Maggie is at the orphanage Twyla and Roberta were brought to. However, Maggie is a childlike, disabled woman that works in the kitchen at St. Bonny's orphanage. The children of the orphanage refer to her as the "kitchen woman" and they describe her as old, "sandy-colored", and "bow-legged". Although Maggie's character is used to highlight the prejudice and biases against disabled people, her character is also symbolic of Twyla and Roberta's hurt and anger towards their mothers, who are also disabled in some form. Maggie, similar to the girls' mothers, is vulnerable and helpless which angers the girls as it reflects their own vulnerability and helplessness caused by their ill mothers. Regarding race, the abuse of Maggie by the girls is also partly symbolic of the system of oppression of African Americans as they are considered powerless and abused during this time.
Mary - Mary is Twyla's mother. Mary is potentially disabled as Twyla, her daughter, describes her as someone who never stops dancing, indicating a possible mental illness and making her incapable of taking proper care of her daughter. Mary is neglectful to her daughter, so she sends her to St. Bonny's orphanage. Throughout the story, Mary's character never changed even in Twyla's adulthood.
Roberta's Mother - Although her name is never revealed in the short story, Robert's mother plays an important role in the development of the story itself and in the develop of Roberta's character and her relationship with Twyla. She is also severely disabled, which causes her to send her daughter to the orphanage. Unlike Twyla's mother, Roberta's mother always provided for her daughter’s basic needs. However, similar to Twyla's mother, Roberta's mother never changed and never got better.
The Gar Girls - The gar girls are a group of teenage girls at St. Bonny's orphanage that scare the younger girls such as Twyla and Roberta. Their name comes from Roberta as she compared them to "gargoyles". The gar girls are also children that came from difficult backgrounds and were desperate to escape. The gar girls symbolize individuals who are subject to abuse and neglect, ultimately becoming abusers emphasizing the cycle of abuse and self-destruction.
