Father

Father is a barrister based in London, known for his antisocial demeanor and preference for retreating to his garden whenever visitors come calling. Although he shows genuine pity for his son’s obligation to visit others, he himself shuns such social interactions. His passion lies in his garden, where he meticulously collects earwigs from traps each evening to drown them, a task he seems to relish. The law, for him, is merely a profession to sustain his livelihood, despite his considerable skill. An accident while pruning an apple tree left him blind, yet he stubbornly refuses to accept this reality. This physical blindness symbolizes his emotional detachment, particularly towards his son and wife. Father’s enigmatic nature is further underscored by rumors of opium use and possible affairs. Despite the strained relationship with his son, he displays a warmer rapport with his grandchildren.

Mother

Mother is a dutiful housewife who assumes the role of caretaker after Father’s blinding accident, attending to even his smallest needs, such as cutting his food, though she never verbally acknowledges his blindness. She consistently indulges her husband’s wishes, including making marmalade—a task she despises. Lacking overt sentimentality or emotional expressiveness, she finds it difficult to comprehend or accept her young son's tears. Mother appears entrenched in her routine, one she is committed to maintaining. When contemplating life after her husband's death, she insists she will remain in her home to "see to the marmalade," as if to suggest her life revolves around these small duties. Her principal concern seems to be avoiding improper topics in conversation.

Boy

Boy, who later becomes known as Son, experiences life through two distinct phases. As a child, he is baffled and wounded by his parents' emotional distance. His father’s unusual advice to say "rats" to prevent crying reflects the family’s odd approach to emotional expression. Sent to school, Boy finds an equally perplexing environment, rife with shell-shocked teachers who hallucinate enemy attacks and retaliate by throwing books. Transitioning into adulthood, he gradually sheds his softer traits. Elizabeth, his wife, ultimately criticizes him for inheriting his father’s inability to address serious matters, highlighting a familial cycle of emotional avoidance.

Miss Cox

Miss Cox, together with Miss Baker, forms a lesbian partnership that runs a bookstore. The son befriends them during his homecoming in World War II. In conversation, they presume he will join the Fire Service and pursue writing, a common path among their acquaintances.

Miss Baker

Miss Baker, part of the lesbian couple with Miss Cox, shares the management of their bookstore. Through their interactions with the son, they casually predict his future in the Fire Service and as a writer, based on the trajectories of their social circle during the war.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a scriptwriter who eventually becomes the son’s wife. Initially married when the son meets her, Elizabeth contributes to the war effort through her scriptwriting. An attractive brunet, she is characterized by her openness and honesty. Elizabeth is critical of the family's pretense regarding Father’s blindness and is dissatisfied with her husband’s inherited tendency to evade serious issues, mirroring his father’s shortcomings.