Caddy Compson
Caddy is the middle child among the three Compson children in ‘‘That Evening Sun.’’ She has a fondness for Nancy and can sense her fear, though she is too young to grasp what exactly frightens Nancy.

Candace Compson
Refer to Caddy Compson.

Jason Compson
At five years old, Jason is the youngest of the Compson children. He is quite immature and self-absorbed. He repeatedly tells Nancy, ‘‘I ain't a nigger,’’ and she worries that he is only preoccupied with trivial matters like whether Dilsey will bake him a chocolate cake. Like his mother, Jason embodies the indifference many white people have towards the struggles of their black employees.

Quentin Compson
Quentin, who is nine, narrates the story. His personality is not prominently featured; he speaks the least among the three children. However, he carries the most responsibility and is a reflective, quiet boy. Although he never explicitly states it, he appears to understand Nancy's fears, unlike his siblings. Quentin is also a central character in other Faulkner works, notably Absalom, Absalom! and The Sound and the Fury, where he ultimately takes his own life by drowning in the Charles River while at Harvard. In many respects, he represents Faulkner himself.

Dilsey
Dilsey is the Compson family's regular house servant. Throughout much of the story, she is unable to fulfill her duties, necessitating that Nancy take over her responsibilities.

Father
Mr. Compson, referred to as Father, is the head of the Compson family. He shows some concern for Nancy but believes her fears regarding Jesus' threats are baseless.

Jesus
Jesus is Nancy's common-law husband. Unlike other washerwomen's husbands, he never assists Nancy with the laundry. He may be violent, as evidenced by the ‘‘razor scar down his face.’’ He suspects Nancy is pregnant by another man. Nancy fears he intends to kill her, and Mr. Compson forbids his children from interacting with him.

Mother
Mrs. Compson, referred to as Mother, is the children's mother. She has a minimal presence in the story and shows no concern for Nancy. When a terrified Nancy wishes to stay in the Compson house, possibly in one of the children's rooms, Mother insists, "I can't have Negroes sleeping in the bedrooms.’’

Nancy
Nancy is the story's central character. She is an older African-American woman who earns a living by doing laundry for white people. Described as ‘‘tall, with a high, sad face sunken where her teeth were missing,’’ she attempts suicide early in the story after being jailed for confronting Mr. Stovall, but she is revived.

Aunt Rachel
Aunt Rachel is an elderly black woman residing in Jefferson. Some believe she might be Jesus' mother, although she doesn't always acknowledge this. In the South, older black women were often referred to as "Aunt" and older black men as "Uncle" by white people. This overly familiar term was used to remind black individuals of their perceived inferior status.

Mr. Stovall
Mr. Stovall works as a cashier at the Jefferson bank and serves as a deacon in the local Baptist church. He hires Nancy to do his laundry but has not paid her for an extended period. When Nancy confronts him about the unpaid wages, he violently assaults her, knocking her down and kicking her in the mouth until the town marshal intervenes. Despite his actions, Mr. Stovall faces no repercussions; instead, Nancy is the one who ends up in jail.