Philip Bentley
Philip Bentley is a minister who never found a sense of belongingness in his profession as a preacher. He is strong, virile and handsome and has a withdrawn attitude. Philip had a traumatic childhood and had to bear with the shame of being an illegitimate child. He experiences extreme remorse for giving up his passion for art to support his family. Though Philip undergoes spiritual bareness, he showcases faith in public. His sense of inadequacy as a protestant believer and preacher haunts him, and for the same reason, he never insists on a salary. He lives a life of economic dependence. Philip is a victim of alienation in his profession and family. Philip is drawn as a character who symbolizes religious hypocrisy.
Mrs. Bentley
Mrs Bentley is the narrator of this story, and it is through her eyes and voice that the events are described. She has a habit of writing diary entries and is a fine musician. She is a lonely woman who struggles hard to put up with her emotionally detached husband, who gets sullen and unreasonable in most situations. She suffers from depression because of the emotional detachment developed in her marriage and also due to the intense pain of being a childless mother. Mrs Bentley's stance as a writer reveals some of the deceptive truths of the culture and psyche of art in the 20th century.
Laura Kirby
The sister-in-law or Philip. The wife of Stanley Kirby the brother of Philip. Stanley Kirby lives at a ranch and Mr. and Mrs. Bentley stayed over their ranch for a brief period of time. Laura is a unique character in the novel, since she is the only woman who shows masculine traits. She also makes her and dislike for Philip known and the only one to stand up to him. She seems to fill the traditional gender roles of a man. Laura does what she desires to an extent and will not let a man dictate her life.
