Old Man

The old man initially attempts to sell his carved lion to the young couple for three shillings and sixpence, but he is unsuccessful. Later, he calls out to the young man already on the train, offering the lion for one-and-six. His willingness to accept such a low price, along with his breath visible "between his ribs," suggests that he is desperate and likely very poor. His courteous demeanor, "smiling, not from the heart, but at the customer," reflects both his dire situation and his reliance on tourists like the young couple. Gordimer provides minimal description but implies that he is very old, murmuring "as old people repeat things to themselves." She mentions his feet in the sand twice, highlighting the old man's connection to the land, which contrasts with the young couple enclosed in the train.

Stationmaster

The stationmaster makes a brief appearance in the story. As the train nears, he emerges "from his little brick station with its pointed chalet roof, feeling the creases in his serge uniform." His discomfort in the uniform symbolizes his struggle to adapt to an unnatural role imposed by his job. The presence of his barefoot children and wife underscores the town's poverty. When his children gather "their mother's two loaves of bread," it highlights the stationmaster's reliance on the train's benevolence from white, European-dominated Rhodesia.

Young Man

The young man accompanies the young woman on the train. He is taken aback when she refuses to buy the lion from the native at the train station. Despite her decision, he bargains with the old man "for fun" and then "automatically" accepts the old man's reduced offer of one-and-six. He tosses the money to the old man and catches the lion as it is thrown to him. While the young woman's conscience is conflicted, the young man seems to be merely enjoying his trip. With "laughter and triumph," he presents the lion to the young woman, only to be "shocked by the dismay of her face." Ultimately, he is depicted "sitting, with his hands drooping between his sprawled legs," his silence suggesting an inability to comprehend the young woman.

Young woman

The young woman serves as the central figure of the story, as her reflections underpin the narrative's emotional depth. Upon arriving at the train station, she admires a carved lion but refrains from purchasing it, claiming the old man selling it is asking for too much. Once she retreats into the train, it is revealed that she already owns several similar items and is unsure of what to do with them once back home. She becomes distressed when her husband buys the lion for just a few cents. "If you wanted it, why didn't you pay for it?" she questions, "Why didn't you take it decently, when he offered?" This outburst suggests that she feels guilty about her husband's patronizing and demeaning treatment of the old man. As the train departs, her shame becomes overwhelming, leading to a tense silence between her and her husband. Their relationship is strained by the racial injustice her husband dismisses as "fun, bargaining."

Gordimer focuses solely on the young woman's thoughts, thereby highlighting the human cost of apartheid through the train station encounter. The woman is affluent enough to travel comfortably; as a white person, she benefits from the government's racially discriminatory system. Despite her willing participation in an unjust society, she attempts to appreciate the natives, particularly their exquisite craftsmanship. When troubled by unsettling feelings, she attributes them to ' 'being alone and belonging too much'' to herself. However, the incident on the train makes her realize that her distress stems from broader social issues. The starving man was forced to beg for a few coins in exchange for a beautifully and skillfully carved animal. Even so, she faces away from her husband, indicating her continued inability to discuss the matter; she remains too entangled in her complicity with society.