Digory Kirke
Digory is the protagonist in the novel. Digory is living in London with his Aunt Letty and Uncle Andrew while they take care of his mother, who is very sick, and while his father is in India. Digory is frightened and lonely which is why he quickly becomes very close with Polly, needing a friend to anchor him and to take his mind off his current circumstances.
Digory is innately curious and courageous. He has a firm understanding of right and wrong, but he is also willful and prone to assuming he knows more than Polly does just because he is a boy. This willful and impulsive nature sometimes leads him to make bad decisions. He does, however, learn from these bad decisions and is thus able to learn from his mistakes. Digory's courage and goodness help to make him the hero of the story.
Polly Plummer
Polly is brave and feisty. She is at times smarter and more courageous than Digory. In the time period in which the novel is set, girls would have been considered weaker, but Polly proves to be close to Digory's equal; she is also a loyal friend to him. She is logical and does not usually let her curiosity get the better of her. Polly is pragmatic and is more likely to heed warnings and figure out how to get out of dangerous situations.
Uncle Andrew Ketterly
Uncle Andrew is a magician, but not as illustrious or powerful a magician as he imagines himself to be. He has directed much of his magic skills towards experimentation rather than exploration of new worlds. He had a fairy godmother, so he says, and he values this heritage. Uncle Andrew likes to do magic for the sake of proving it can be done, rather than for any specific beneficial use. Although he tries to come across as benevolent, he has a cruel and manipulative side; for example, he tries to use Polly as his guinea pig for travel between different worlds. Despite being the character whose actions set the entire adventure in motion, he is not very brave himself and prefers to conduct his magical experiments without participating in them. Physically he is tall and very thin, with a sharply-pointed nose and a mop of gray hair.
Queen Jadis/ the Witch
The Queen is the embodiment of evil in the novel; she is the antagonist. She has a history of reducing anyone who so much as disagrees with her to dust. Although apparently irritated that Digory, a "common child," has broken the spell and awoken her, she nonetheless hopes that this event will turn out to be her opportunity to conquer other worlds. Although her magical powers do not actually work in the earthly world, she is still a physical giant with superhuman strength, able to rip a piece off of a lamp-post. Jadis is above all manipulative, and once in Narnia she tries to plot Aslan's downfall. She is the White Witch who appears in the later Narnia novels.
Aslan
Aslan, the king of Narnia, is the embodiment of good and is a God-like creator figure. Aslan has often been compared to Jesus by those who recognize the Narnia series as an allegory of Christianity. Aslan is a large and imposing lion who leads with a gentle authority and power that is always benevolent. Aslan loves his subjects and places absolute faith and trust in them. Although Aslan's authority is never spoken of, it is recognized and assumed by both the animals and humans alike. The Queen finds Aslan a threat because his good magic threatens her evil magic. Aslan's character is pivotal to the subsequent Narnia books.
The Cabby / King Frank
The Cabby is a forthright and decent man who drives a hansom cab, the taxi of the time. He is upstanding, cares for his horse, and is committed to his wife. He is surprisingly unruffled by the events he sees unfolding in Narnia and is not frightened by Aslan. Aslan makes the Cabby into the king of Narnia, and he is thereafter known as King Frank.
Strawberry/Fledge
Strawberry is the Cabby's horse, and although he pulls a heavy cab behind him, he comes from a long line of horses used in battle. This gives him his brave and reliable character. He is a bridge between humans and the animals in Narnia, where he is immediately at home. When Aslan makes him a winged horse, his name is changed to Fledge. On the journey to fetch the silver apple, Fledge is courageous and helps keeps both Polly and Digory safe.
Sarah /The housemaid
The woman who works at the Ketterley’s home. She is described multiple times as having a very exciting day as a result of the arrival of Queen Jadis and the ensuing drama.
Aunt Letty /Miss Ketterley
The sister of Uncle Andrew and of Digory's mother. She is described as an “old maid” (2), meaning she is unmarried. She cares for Digory’s mother and for Digory. She is described as “a very tough old lady” (95).
Nellie/Queen Helen
The Cabby’s wife. She is summoned to Narnia by Aslan’s voice, after the Cabby said he would agree to stay in Narnia if his wife were with him. In Narnia, she becomes Queen Helen.
Digory's mother/Mabel Kirke
Digory’s mother is ill and dying. She and Digory have come to London to live with the Ketterleys, who are caring for them both.
Digory's father/Mr. Kirke
Digory’s father is away in India throughout the duration of the novel, which is why Digory and his mother are being cared for by the Ketterleys. At the end of the story, Digory’s father inherits wealth from his Great Uncle Kirke and moves back to England.
