Dellie is the wife of the sharecropper Old Jebb and mother of Seth's sometime playmate Jebb. She works as a cook for Seth's family. They are an African-American family who live in a cabin on the narrator's family's farm. On the day the story takes place, Dellie is sick in bed with an unspecified "female" illness. Young Seth is shocked by her ravaged appearance and stunned when she lashes out and slaps her son so hard that he cries.
The father's first or last name never appears in the story, but he plays a prominent role both in the events of the day and in the elder Seth's recollections. From the information provided, however, he seems to be a leader in the community, an affectionate father, and a fearless protector of his.....
