Clora: The main narrator, a slave woman who commits suicide to save herself and her children from further torment. Her spirit watches over her descendants throughout the novel.
Fammy: Clora's mother, who kills herself and the Master after enduring repeated rapes and having her children sold away.
Always: Clora's first child, a daughter who embodies her mother's strength and wisdom. Always is repeatedly raped by the Young Master and later sold to a cruel man named Doak Butler.
Sun: Clora's light-skinned son who escapes to the North with the help of his half-sister Loretta. He passes as white, marries his wealthy employer's daughter, and lives in luxury.
Peach: Clora's beautiful, light-skinned daughter who is sold to a kind man who falls in love with her. They marry and move to Scotland, where Peach changes her name to Peachel.
Plum: Clora's sickly youngest child who dies tragically while trying to escape.
Loretta: The Young Master's selfish daughter who helps Sun escape but later gets Peach sold out of jealousy. She eventually marries the cruel Master Doak.
Master Doak: The man who purchases Always and repeatedly rapes her. He marries Loretta after his first wife dies.

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