Hoke Coleburn

Hoke is sixty years old when the play begins. He is an unemployed, uneducated African American man who has previously worked as a driver and deliveryman. He is delighted when Boolie hires him, both for the job and because he enjoys working for Jewish people. Hoke exhibits immense patience with Daisy and tolerates her barely concealed prejudices. He is not afraid to assert himself, always doing so in a calm and respectful manner. When his dignity is threatened, he stands up for his rights. His integrity helps Daisy become a more compassionate person. Hoke also grows through their friendship; for example, Daisy teaches him to read. Most importantly, the financial stability he gains over twenty-five years enhances his self-confidence and self-respect.

Daisy

Daisy is a seventy-two-year-old widow living alone at the start of the play. She is fiercely independent and stubborn, but her son Boolie insists on hiring a driver for her after she crashes her car while backing out of the garage. Daisy initially resents Hoke and the suggestion that she can no longer manage her own life. However, Hoke's gentle demeanor eventually wins her over, and she finally agrees to let him drive her to the market. He becomes her driver for the next twenty-five years. Through her friendship with Hoke, Daisy sheds some of her deep-seated prejudices against African Americans and even begins to see herself as a supporter of civil rights. Although she eventually becomes unable to care for herself and moves to a nursing home, she never loses her determination or sense of self. Traits that defined her at the beginning, such as her bossiness and sense of humor, remain strong until the end.

Boolie Werthan

Boolie is Daisy's son and is forty years old when the play begins. He has taken over his father's printing company and, over the course of the play, becomes a prominent business figure in the city. As time passes, he becomes more concerned with societal perceptions and, as a result, declines to attend the United Jewish Appeal banquet for Martin Luther King, Jr. Although Boolie takes good care of his mother, he sometimes overlooks her feelings. When her opinions clash with his, he often disregards her perspective without considering her desires or reasons. He tends to indulge his mother's stubbornness rather than trying to understand it.

Florine Werthan

Although Boolie's wife Florine never appears on stage, she is still a vibrant character. She is Jewish but frequently socializes with the Christian community and surrounds herself with Christian symbols, such as Christmas decorations. She has high social aspirations and is involved in many organizations. Florine values social status and symbols more than family, leading Daisy to view her as shallow and foolish.