Lucynell Crater

Lucynell Crater is Mrs. Crater's mute daughter who eventually marries Tom Shiftlet. Though she is almost entirely silent, she plays a pivotal role as a symbol of innocence, an "angel of Gawd" whom Shiftlet rejects, forcing him to confront his own emptiness.

Mrs. Crater

An old, toothless woman trying to marry off her mute daughter and secure Shiftlet's services as a handyman, Mrs. Crater is abrupt and manipulative. She speaks of her undying love for her daughter while trying to pass her off on Shiftlet, whom she attempts to win over with material goods. Even her name suggests the emptiness of her character. At the end of the story she appears to have been outsmarted by Shiftlet, who has taken both her car and her daughter.

Tom T. Shiftlet

The pivotal figure in the story, Shiftlet is a onearmed drifter who wanders into the Crater family's life...