Antoine Doinel
Antoine is a young boy who struggles to deal with authority and to be understood by his parents. He has a rebellious nature, and he often skips school, steals, and lies. He is a young man who lives knowing that his mother did not want to keep him when she was pregnant, which leads him to misbehave and feel abandoned by the world. He craves absolute freedom, from responsibility and the tyrannical watchfulness of emotionally neglectful adults. He is intelligent, enjoying taking in films and reading books, but his intellect is not well adapted to the conventional requirements of school.
Mrs. Doinel
Antoine’s mother, whom we find out didn’t want to have him; she was convinced by her mother not to have an abortion. Mrs. Doinel is having an affair with another man and is seen by Antoine on the streets of Paris while he’s skipping class. She is neglectful and resentful of Antoine, and is ultimately willing to give up her parental rights to the state. A selfish woman, who doesn't quite know how to connect with the son she never wanted, Mrs. Doinel is a flawed character and a bad mother. While Truffaut does not explicitly blame her for Antoine's waywardness, her hot-and-cold treatment of him and her lack of responsibility are depicted as part of why Antoine is so un-grounded and has such a strong drive for freedom.
Mr. Doinel
Mr. Doinel has raised Antoine since he was an infant. We later discover that he is not Antoine’s biological father, and has more of a passion for racing than he does for being a family man. Mr. Doinel is the one who takes Antoine to the police station, and agrees to give up his parental rights to Antoine, writing him off for good by the end of the film. In the beginning, he is more loving than Antoine's mother, and exhibits good humor and a desire to have fun with Antoine, but ultimately, he doesn't want to take responsibility for Antoine's delinquency.
René
René is Antoine’s best friend. He is by his side throughout all of his trials. He gives Antoine access to the paper factory to sleep and ultimately gives him a place to live in his parents' house, but doesn’t tell his parents. He steals food for him helps him steal the typewriter in order to make money and start their own life. René remains loyal to Antoine throughout, even going to visit him at the observation center.
The French Teacher
Also known as "Sourpuss" to his students, the French teacher is Antoine's fiercest critic and adversary. He continually catches Antoine in the act of misbehaving and punishes him harshly, even though all of the boys in his class misbehave. He represents the hard hand that seeks to discipline the students into learning and behaving rather than creating a relationship with them. When Antoine lies and tells the teacher that his mother died, the teacher shows an uncharacteristic softness, and tells Antoine that he ought to confide in his teachers. One can hardly see why Antoine would want to, as the French teacher has a taste for publicly humiliating and punishing his students.
