Meet the Cast
Quentin
Okay, don't get confused, but there are really two Quentins in this story: the narrator, who's twenty-four, and the nine-year-old child. There's the adult who's telling the story, and then the chil...
Nancy
Poor Nancy! She's a tragic figure in this tale, doomed from the get-go, or at least that's what she's decided. And, dang, this woman has all sorts of things stacked against her. Let's chronicle wha...
Jesus
Nancy's husband only appears once in the story, but he nonetheless plays a major role in everything that goes down.He seems like a dangerous dude. We're told he has "a razor scar on his black face"...
Mr. Jason Compson
The father of the white family in this story seems a pretty solid, steadfast guy. He's got an even-keeled personality and pretty much does the same pro-Nancy things throughout the story: walk her h...
Caddy
The seven-year old daughter of the white family, whose name is short for Candace, plays just two roles in this story, so we're sure you can get a sense of her quickly.Number one: she asks questions...
Jason
This five-year-old boy can be a major brat. You know, like most five year olds.Besides demanding chocolate cake, he spits out questions about who is or isn't a "nigger" (2.27), heightening our sens...
Mother
Gee whiz, lady: complain, complain, complain. She doesn't show up much in the story, making her a fairly minor character, but when she does, it's with the same attitude again and again. Nothing is...
Mr. Stovall
This character may be a minor one—he only appears in three back-to-back paragraphs (1.11-13)—but he's still important.He's a cashier at the bank and a deacon in the Baptist church, two position...
Dilsey
The minor character of Dilsey is a strong-willed black servant in the household. She puts up with the least amount of nonsense from the children and tries the most—of any character white or black...
The Jailer
This guy's a jerk. He gets two paragraphs in which to be a jerk… and they seem endless.Actually, he's much worse than a jerk. When Nancy tries to kill herself in his jail, he makes the racist rem...
Mr. Lovelady
Mr. Lovelady shows up for all of one paragraph and is the subject of what some critics call the "Lovelady digression." Basically, when the adult Quentin nears the disturbing end of his narration, h...