Catherine

Catherine is a calm woman in her early thirties who keeps a detached relationship with her mother, husband, and young son. She is considered "modern" and attractive, slightly curvy, with short hair dyed reddish-brown and a mild squint. While she and her husband live in peace, it is not a joyful one, as she avoids conversations that could lead to deeper connections. With her mother, Catherine keeps her distance, though she secretly wishes to ask personal questions, like whether her mother was happy with her father. To Catherine, '"mother and daughter" signifies "life and repugnance."' After her mother's visits, she feels relieved, yet a sense of connection drives her to recreate the same neurotic and confining relationship with her young son.

The Child

Described as ‘‘thin and highly strung,’’ the child, whose name is not revealed, speaks ‘‘as if verbs were unknown to him’’ and ‘‘observes things coldly, unable to relate them to each other.’’ His thoughts are always "somewhere else." When his mother laughs in a wheezy manner at his calling her "Mummy,’’ he declares her "ugly." He feels no bond with his family, but Catherine is on the verge of forming one.

Severina

Severina, Catherine's mother, uses a tone of "challenge and accusation" with Tony, which is actually aimed at her daughter. She criticizes their son as ‘‘too thin’’ and waits until the day she leaves to offer a casual and vague apology for her harsh behavior toward her son-in-law. Severina is an elderly woman, wrinkled and wearing dentures, yet she clings to the silly vanity of a hat that slips over her eyes when the train jolts forward. The hat, ‘‘purchased from the same milliner favored by her daughter,’’ was a misguided attempt at closeness and a way to flaunt her fashion sense to the other passengers. The unspoken words, ‘‘I am your mother,’’ linger as she parts with Catherine. Severina, resembling a madonna, is most vulnerable when the train departs, and it is too late for her to mend the damage of her mothering of Catherine.

Tony

Described as "a slightly built man with a dark complexion," Catherine's husband, Tony, uses his mild cold as an excuse to hide his unease around his mother-in-law. His cold serves as a metaphor for the family's dynamics: illness, self-centeredness, and vulnerability. Tony, an engineer, has provided well for his family and typically spends his Saturdays engaged in his personal pastime of reading. He notices that when Catherine takes their son for a walk, she is beginning to form a close bond with the child that will eventually trap him, just as Tony was trapped by his own mother and Catherine by hers. However, Tony can only think to himself, "Catherine, this child is still innocent." He is unable to bring himself to follow them or stop Catherine, and instead, he stands by the window, wistfully watching them walk away. He finds solace in the idea of going to the cinema with his family after dinner, a way to spend the evening without the risk of emotional closeness.