The Narrator
The narrator is a “government bureaucrat” who is no longer fascinated with the “worldly obligations.” He defines himself as a vanaprasthu who elects to meditate in the setting of a forest.
The Narrator’s wife
She is deceased; her bereavement stimuluses the surviving spouse’s (the narrator) purpose to withdraw to the forest to reflect tranquilly.
Mr. Chagla
He is the narrator’s clerk who resides in “The town of Rundra.” His mode of commuting to the narrator’s abode is a bicycle.
Tariq Mia
He is the narrator’s acquaintance who works as the “mullah of the village mosque.” He occasionally holds dialogues with the narrator who regards him as the cleverest individual among all his associates.
Jain Monk
He is a monk whom the narrator bumps into in the course of his stay at the forest. The Jain monk is the narrator in ‘The Monk Story’ where he recounts his ‘departure ceremony’ whereby his father incurs sixty two million to solemnize the observance.