Rosemary
Rosemary is the main character of the novel and also the narrator. She begins her story in the middle, that is in the year 1996 when she is a college student. Rosemary was raised in a somewhat unusual way since both her parents were scientist. Rosemary was raised alongside a chimp named Fern and Rosemary felt so attached to Fern that she considered the chimp as being her sister. Rosemary was however affected in a negative way by the rime she spent with the chimp and she ended up adopting some animalistic traits that she had to work all her life to get rid of. Rosemary admits that she was never able to make new friends easily and that her tendency to keep everything for herself drove people away from her. Rosemary has an older brother named Lowell with whom she reconnects in her second year at college.
Rosemary’s father
Rosemary’s father is an important character in the novel but his name is never given. He is an extremely intelligent man, a university professor and scientist who became interested in animal behavior. Because of this, he and his wife decide to buy a baby chimp and raise it alongside their children. Rosemary’s father can be at times distant and more interested in his little experiment than in the well-being of his children. After he and his wife have to get rid of Fern, Rosemary’s father is never the same again and he begins drinking heavily. In the end, he dies because of his poor choices at the age of 58. It is only after his death that Rosemary can open to her mother and talk freely about Fern and about what happened to the chimp.
Fern
Fern is the name given to the chimp taken in by Rosemary’s parents. Fern was born in Africa but her mother was killed and then sold for food and Fern was left to die. Rosemary’s parents bought Fern and then nursed the chimp back to health. Being scientists, Rosemary’s parents began analyzing Fern’s behavior and the way it affected their own children. Fern learned some words in sign language and at a rudimentary level she was able to communicate with those around her. She however became too aggressive and Rosemary’s parents had to send her to a laboratory where she lived with other chimps. Fern however never forgot what she was taught and when she had children she taught them sign language as well.
Rosemary's mother
Just like the father, she remains unknown. While it is never hinted that Rosemary’s father was affected by Fern’s disappearance, her mother was because she ended up caring for the chimp just as she cared for her own children. In fact, when Fern had to be taken away, Rosemary’s mother had a mental breakdown and Rosemary had to live temporarily with her grandparents. Even after she was taken home, her mother continued to act strangely, coming out of her room only during the night. After Rosemary’s father dies, Rosemary and her mother are able to reconnect again and they become close once more.
Lowell
Lowell is Rosemary’s older brother who disappears shortly after Fern is taken away. Lowell is a rebellious child who can’t seem to find his place. He blames Rosemary for Fern’s disappearance and because of this he distances himself from her. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love her and Rosemary continues to look up to her brother. After Fern is taken away, Lowell joins a radical group that is against testing on animals and that urges their members to destroy the facilities where testing was done on animals. Because of this, Lowell is a searched man by the FBI and he decides to not return home to his parents. He does however meet with Rosemary to whom he reveals the truth about what happened to Fern.
Dae-Jung
Dae-Jung is a boy Rosemary meets in the first grade. The two become friends for a short period of time and Rosemary hints that the only reason why they got along was because Dae-Jung was unable to talk because he did not know English. After he learned the language, Dae-Jung found some new friends for himself and forgot about Rosemary.
Grandma Donna
Grandma Donna is Rosemary’s maternal grandmother who comes and takes care of her when Rosemary’s mother has a mental breakdown. She avoids however being seen by Rosemary’s father and claims that he never has to know what she is doing.
Harlow
Harlow is a girl with whom Rosemary meets at collage. Despite not getting along very well, Rosemary feels as if Harlow is a true friend to her. They get arrested twice but Harlow doesn’t seem to mind the fact that she is thrown in jail. Harlow has a complicated relationship with a boy named Reg and she falls easily in love with other men. Harlow doesn’t hesitate to use her sexuality to her advantage and she seduces the administrator of the building where Rosemary lives. Harlow gets involved in arson as well but she is not arrested like her partner is.
Grandpa Dan
Grandpa Dan never appears in the novel because he dies even before Rosemary is born. He is mentioned by Grandma Donna who has a picture with him in her purse. The picture of Grandpa Dan is stolen by Fern one day and destroyed and this made Grandma Donna hate Fern even more.
Grandma Fredericka
Grandma Fredericka is Rosemary’s paternal grandmother who appears in the beginning of the novel. The characters eat Thanksgiving dinner at her house and also Rosemary was sent to live with her and with her husband when Fern disappeared.
Reg
Reg is the boy Harlow dated for a big portion of the novel. Rosemary thinks that he is boring and unintelligent but despite this she ends up dating him as well for a period of six months.
Todd
Todd is Rosemary’s second roommate and the person she shares her flat during the novel. Todd is half Japanese and during the novel he is in a relationship with a girl named Kimmy. Todd is among the only character who is not seduced by Harlow and who seems to not like her. Todd comes from a dysfunctional family and because of this he considers Rosemary’s family as being the ideal one.
Katherine Chalmers
Katherine is the girl Lowell dated before he disappeared. Katherine came from a traditional Mormon family and she has many siblings, nine at the time when Lowell dated her. Rosemary meets Katherine when she is seventeen years old and it is from her that Rosemary finds why Lowell left.
Melissa
Melissa is a character who appears in the beginning of the novel briefly. She is a college student who used to take care of Rosemary when she was younger than five years old.
Janice
Janice is Peter’s younger sister who appears briefly during the Thanksgiving dinner in the beginning of the novel.
Uncle Bob
Uncle Bob is Rosemary’s maternal uncle who appears briefly during the Thanksgiving dinner in the beginning of the novel.
Mary
Mary is Rosemary’s imaginary friend from her childhood. Just like Fern, Mary is a chimpanzee and seems to have a will and life of her own.
Aunt Vivi
Aunt Vivi is Uncle Bob’s wife who also appears briefly during the Thanksgiving dinner in the beginning of the novel.
Hazel
Hazel is Fern’s third baby that appears in the novel. It is mentioned that Fern began teaching Hazel sign language as well after Hazel was born.
Todd's mother
Todd’s mother remains unknown but she appears once when Rosemary is arrested after Ezra broke into a laboratory where chimps were being help. Todd’s mother is the one who arranges for Rosemary to be released and the one who makes sure that Ezra is put into a minimum security prison.
Peter
Peter is Rosemary’s cousin, Aunt Vivi and Uncle Bob’s child. While Peter is a talented musician, he scored poor SAT scores and his scores are a subject of interest at the Thanksgiving dinner in the beginning of the novel.
Officer Haddik
Officer Haddik is the one who arrests Rosemary and Harlow when they cause problems in the college’s cafeteria. He is also the one who arrests the two girls when they spend a night drinking and taking drugs.
Grandpa Joe
Grandpa Joe is Rosemary’s paternal grandfather with whom she lives briefly when her mother has a nervous breakdown.
Kimmy Uchida
Kimmy is Todd’s girlfriend. She never appears in the novel but she is mentioned a few times by Todd.
