G.H.
G.H. is the primary character in the novel. The bulk of the text revolves around G.H.’s reevaluation of her life. After her maid’s sudden departure, G.H. decides to clean up her room. After getting into the servant’s quarter, G.H. realizes she has no idea who her maid was. She had not bothered to talk and learn about the person living and working in her house. She begins questioning the nature of her relationships. After roaming in the maid’s room, G.H. opens the wardrobe and a roach walks out. She quickly squashes the bug. After crushing the roach, G.H. reevaluates her humanness and first instinct in various situations.
Janair
Janair was G.H.’s maid. After her departure, G.H. instantly realizes that Janair hated her employer. Before she left, Janair had sketched rude and inappropriate images on the walls. Since she hired Janair, G.H. has never stepped foot in her maid’s room.
The Cockroach
The roach’s description is brief. However, the roach’s death initiates a series of thoughts in the narrator’s mind. She doubts her capacity for compassion.