Mary Dolle Green
Narrator’s mother who dies while giving birth to narrator’s younger sister, Imogene.
Florence Dean
First wife of narrator’s father, whom he had grown up to think of as mother, after she and her second husband decide to raise the narrator as his own.
Herbert Dean
Narrator's adoptive father. He couldn't read and that kept him away from the narrator who found joy in writing. He was a loving father to the narrator who couldn't associate with his biological father at all.
Mrs. Dodson
Wicked Witch of West Harlem. To narrator, it felt like her main purpose in life was to ruin his life as she was considered as an educated black woman whose advice his mother chose to follow and thus threw away any things as play guns or comic books which Mrs. Dodson disapproved of.
William Dean
Called as Pap, he was the father of narrator’s adoptive father. He was orthodox in his mannerisms and rigid in accepting transformations of time and technology. He was brought to Harlem after he lost his vision. His presence annoyed narrator’s mother due to his odd habits and attitude towards women.
Frank Hall
A homeless black man narrator meets while saving him from getting robbed. His mother distrusted him, while the narrator thought he had a ‘Cassius’ from Othello look. Later, it is revealed that the boy had a criminal history.
Florence Dean
Part Red Indian and part German, the narrator's mother is ostracized by her community for marrying a black man. Although, she had two daughters from her previous marriage, she deicides to take on another kid from her first husband. She proves to be a lasting impression on the narrator to make sure he breaks the boundaries of race.
