Monsieur de Bassompierre, a distant cousin of Mrs. Bretton and the father of Paulina Home, to whom he is completely devoted. Because his wife was a giddy, flirtatious woman who never gave her husband the warmth and love he bestowed on her, he became very close to his daughter, and he is quite reluctant for her to marry anyone. Finally, he is reconciled to her marriage with Dr. John and looks forward to becoming one of their household.

Miss Marchmont

Miss Marchmont, a woman of fortune, a rheumatic cripple when Lucy goes to care for her after living with the Brettons. Miss Marchmont’s lover had died when she was young, and the old woman has turned into a firm, patient, and sometimes morose person who cares a great deal for Lucy. When Miss Marchmont dies, Lucy is once more forced to go into the world to make her own living.

Mrs. Barrett

Mrs. Barrett, the old servant of Miss Marchmont, also fond of Lucy Snowe.

Mrs. Leigh

Mrs. Leigh, an old schoolmate of Lucy, a comely, good-natured woman. Her French maid suggests to Lucy, after Miss Marchmont’s death, that there are many English girls living on the Continent and that perhaps Lucy can find a position abroad.

Ginevra Fanshawe

Ginevra Fanshawe (zhih-NEH-vrah FAN-shah), a vain and proud but attractive girl, Paulina Home’s cousin. She is a passenger aboard the Vivid, the ship on which Lucy crosses the channel, and is a student at Madame Beck’s school. She carries on a flirtation with Dr. John while at the same time meeting Alfred de Hamal secretly on Madame Beck’s premises. Spoiled and unscrupulous, Ginevra torments Lucy with constant demands for attention. Eventually, she elopes with Alfred de Hamal, and the two are married.

Colonel Alfred de Hamal

Colonel Alfred de Hamal, one of Ginevra’s suitors and eventually her husband, a dandified figure in fashionable society. He disguises himself as a nun to hold many rendezvous with Ginevra in Madame Beck’s establishment.

Mrs. Cholmondeley

Mrs. Cholmondeley (CHUHL-mo[n]-deh-lay), Ginevra’s chaperon at many parties, a woman of fashion in Villette who has attached herself to court circles and enjoys a prominent place in society.

Mademoiselle St. Pierre

Mademoiselle St. Pierre (sah[n] pyehr), a fellow teacher in Madame Beck’s school, a prodigal and profligate woman whose chief achievement is the ability to keep order among the students.

Rosine Matou

Rosine Matou (roh-ZEEN mah-TEW), the portress at Madame Beck’s school, a pretty, airy, and fickle young woman afraid of M. Paul’s temper tantrums.

Fraulein Anna Braun

Fraulein Anna Braun, a worthy, hearty woman of forty-five. She instructs Lucy Snowe and Paulina Home in German.

Mademoiselle Sauver

Mademoiselle Sauver (soh-VAY), Monsieur Paul’s ward, who adores him.

Vashti

Vashti, a complex and beautiful actress who entrances Lucy Snowe when Dr. John takes her to one of Vashti’s performances.

Désirée

Désirée (day-zee-RAY), the oldest daughter of Madame Beck, a vicious child who smashes things and steals from the servants. She is overindulged by her mother.

Fifine

Fifine (fee-FEEN), Madame Beck’s middle child, an honest, gleeful little girl.

Georgette

Georgette (zhohr-ZHEHT), Madame Beck’s youngest daughter, attended during her illness by Dr. John. Her sickness introduces him to the Beck household.

Mrs. Sivinc

Mrs. Sivinc (SIH-vihnk), the whiskey-drinking nursery governess to the Beck children, replaced by Lucy Snowe.

Mademoiselle Blanche

Mademoiselle Blanche (blahnsh),

Mademoiselle Virginie

Mademoiselle Virginie (veer-zhee-NEE), and

Mademoiselle Angélique

Mademoiselle Angélique (ahn-zhay-LEEK), three obstreperous pupils at Madame Beck’s school. They plague Lucy Snowe on the first day of her teaching.

Dolores

Dolores, another unusually willful student whom Lucy Snowe punishes by locking her in a closet.

Madame Walravens

Madame Walravens (WAHL-ray-vehnz), a hideous little woman, the grandmother of M. Paul’s dead sweetheart. He supports her after the death of Justine Marie, his betrothed.

Père Silas

Père Silas (pehr see-LAHS), the priest who hears Lucy Snowe’s confession. The cleric is supported by M. Paul because he is a kinsman of the dead Justine Marie. He tries in vain to change Lucy to a Catholic.

Monsieur Boissec

Monsieur Boissec (bwah-SEHK) and

Monsieur Rochemonte

Monsieur Rochemonte (rohsh-MONT), professors who attempt to embarrass M. Paul by claiming that he has written Lucy Snowe’s compositions.

Lucy Snowe stands out as the most significant and, in some ways, enigmatic character in the book, blending stoic endurance with fearful imaginings. There is little dispute that Bronte worked diligently, even under distressing conditions—her two surviving sisters and fellow authors, Emily and Anne, had recently passed away, and Charlotte herself was grappling with poor health, depression, and a fear of losing her sight, possibly triggered by her father's cataract surgery—to craft a fully developed protagonist. Despite the scant information about Lucy's family and childhood, there is ample material to form a portrait of this complex and sorrowful young woman.

Dr. John Graham Bretton has faced criticism for being a "flat" character. Indeed, Dr. John exhibits few dimensions and undergoes little change throughout the story. He begins as a pleasant, carefree sixteen-year-old and evolves into a likable, honorable, yet not particularly deep, adult. His infatuation with the attractive but superficial Ginevra highlights his lack of depth, although he ultimately marries a deserving woman, the modest Paulina Home, who has cherished him for a long time.

After Lucy, the next most intriguing female character isn't Paulina, Ginevra, or even Mrs. Bretton (John's mother)—though these women are well-crafted and serve their narrative purposes adequately. Instead, Madame Beck captures the reader's attention more strongly. As a widow with limited means who has established and efficiently runs a successful school, she serves as a foil for Lucy. Practical and somewhat unscrupulous (she spies on nearly everyone, rummages through their belongings, and reads their documents), she is nonetheless virtuous in some respects. Mme. Paul values Lucy's contributions to the school, and while Lucy mildly resents the invasions of her privacy, she appreciates being evaluated on her professional merits.

Madame Beck's personal life, however, is, in Lucy's opinion, monotonous: "Madame Beck was a most consistent character; forbearing with all the world, and tender to no part of it. Her own children drew her into no deviation from the even tenor of her stoic calm. She was solicitous about her family, vigilant for their interests and physical well-being; but she never seemed to know the wish to take her little children upon her lap, to press their rosy lips with her own, to gather them in a genial embrace, to shower on them softly the benignant caress, the loving word." This woman provides a solid character-based anchor for the novel: she appears in many scenes, drives several plot developments (such as when she is caught eavesdropping on John and Lucy), and manages the establishment where most of the story unfolds.

Among the minor characters, Ginevra stands out due to her flaws, Polly (Paulina) Home for her reserved passion, and Colonel de Hamal for his refined vanity and snobbishness, traits that attract Ginevra. Although Father Silas appears only briefly, his conversation with Lucy, a sort of Protestant confession, sheds light on Lucy's troubled soul and reveals Bronte's perspective on the Catholic Church. Lucy later expresses gratitude to the old man for his kindness and understanding. However, she never accepts his invitation to visit him, aware that he will persist in his gentle attempts to convert her, which began during their meeting in the church.

While all these characters are memorable to varying extents, it is Lucy Snowe who lingers in the sensitive reader's mind, with her deep need for understanding and her complex view of the world.