Wole Soyinka portrays Lakunle as a liberal school teacher who values Western civilization and culture. He openly expresses his negative opinion of traditional Yoruba culture and uses big words to give the impression that he is intelligent. Lakunle is also a dreamer who has shallow morals and is rather insincere.

Soyinka gives the impression that Sidi is conceited and vain. After a foreign photographer puts her images in a magazine, Sidi becomes obsessed with herself and seeks fame. Similar to Lakunle, Sidi is also shallow and rather unintelligent.

Soyinka portrays Baroka to be wise and masculine. Baroka protects his village by thwarting a Public Works project and promotes Ilujinle by being a gracious host to the foreign photographer. Soyinka gives the impression that the Bale values traditional culture over modernity and depicts him as a cunning opponent of Western civilization.