The main characters in the story are Roselily and her new husband. The narrative unfolds through Roselily's perspective as she ponders an uncertain future with her partner. While her name suggests fragility, Roselily exudes strength, having already borne numerous burdens and now facing even more. She is a woman who, after years of arduous labor, lives in a dreamlike state that offers her a respite from reality. She seems to have minimal engagement with the real world, where her involvement is neither needed nor desired. As a woman, she has been conditioned to be passive, believing her role is limited to being ornamental or a mother. Yet, beneath the surface, there is a rich tapestry of thoughts and beliefs that may reflect the inner turmoil of many other oppressed and restricted women. Although Roselily must remain silent to satisfy both societal expectations and her husband, the underlying themes of her life become increasingly evident.

In contrast, Roselily's husband holds a less prominent role in the story; he is faceless and nameless. Perhaps the anonymity of her husband—and all the men in Roselily's life—serves to represent a universal issue affecting women. He exists in a world separate from Roselily. She understands that her husband disapproves of "the respectful way the men turn their heads up in the yard, the women stand waiting and knowledgeable, their children held from mischief by teachings from the wrong God." For him, other ideals, thoughts, and beliefs overshadow the wedding. Bluntly put, Roselily does not hold significance in his worldview. His perspective is expressed through terms of conflict, violence, blame, and domination—likely foreshadowing the challenges Roselily will face.

In some respects, Walker's writing seems to exact revenge on a society where women's emotions are typically secondary to men's desires and needs. Here, it is the man's needs that appear less critical. Ironically, Roselily's only sense of connection is through her memory, a kind of ancestral memory that transcends her own existence. Thus, Roselily feels linked to her deceased mother, even as she feels estranged from her future husband. Her connection also extends to her grandparents, who have passed away. Roselily feels a bond with them, believing it to be "the soil giving back what it takes."

Husband
The man Roselily is marrying remains unnamed throughout the story. He is a Black Muslim from Chicago who plans to take Roselily and her children with him after the wedding to start anew. Although he agreed to have the wedding on Roselily's front porch in the countryside, he holds a condescending view towards the people of Panther Burn, criticizing their simple lifestyles and deference to white individuals. Roselily is unsure if he also judges her in the same way.

Roselily
Roselily is the central character, and the entire narrative unfolds from her perspective. She has spent her entire life in Panther Burn, Mississippi, raised by diligent yet impoverished parents. Roselily knows the meaning of hard work firsthand, as she is a single mother raising three children alone, earning a living by picking cotton and working in a factory. Marrying and relocating to Chicago represents her best opportunity to finally gain respectability. She is willing to take this step for her children's future, even though it involves marrying a man she does not love. As she partially listens to her wedding ceremony, she reflects on the journey that led her here and contemplates how she will adapt to the strict lifestyle of being a wife in a Black Muslim household.