The narrator
The main character of the story is the narrator whose name and gender are left hidden. This is a person who had bad experiences with love, contributed to with inability to make a real long-lasting bond with lovers. All of that changed with Louise.
Louise
Louise is the lover of the story. She is a red-haired beautiful woman and her character, her whole persona is built through the narrator's love-stricken eyes.
Elgin
Elgin is Louise's husband who became obsessed with discovering the cure for cancer after his mother died because of it. His ego is hurt by Louise's affair, and he appears to disturbingly finds joy in bringing her apart from her lover under excuse for taking care of, curing her of the cancer which is not even certain she has.
Gail
Gail is a character that comes out towards the end of the novel. She is a middle-aged overweight woman who forces herself upon the narrator, and the idea of settling down with her awakes unpleasant thoughts in the narrator's mind. Nevertheless, she turns out to have a good heart and becomes a bridge that connects the narrator back with Louise.
