Zora Neale Hurston
As author and narrator, Hurston inserts her personal experiences of the various folklorists between stories. She is conducting anthropological research in the form of social narrative. She records her adventures and encounters with various people during her travels in Florida and Louisiana. Fortunately for readers, Hurston takes a transparent position in her narration. She does not hold back any confession of fear, disgust, or even excitement about her various meetings with people. Above all she is interested in understanding the culture which gave birth to these folktales, which is also her own culture.
Big Sweet
In Florida, Hurston meets this older black lady named Big Sweet. She's from Polk County. Taking a liking to Hurston, Big Sweet decides to accompany her around Florida in order to look out for her among some of the less welcoming locals.
Armetta Jones
Hurston runs into an old friend in Eatonville -- Armetta. She's now happily married to a man named Ellis. She and Hurston strike up a continuation of their childhood friendship.
Julius Henry
Even the children get involved in the storytelling! Julius is just a kid, but he's been raised on the same folktales as people of Hurston's generation and older. Although his information is not firsthand, his accounts are compelling given his personality.
Bennie Lee
Bennie is a well-known figure in Eatonville. He and his stepsister, Shug, vie for Hurston's attention in a bar. He's a drunk but also a phenomenal storyteller. He captivates the crowd for sometime, making Hurston's request for storytelling seem less conspicuous because everyone else is similarly engaged.
