Antoinette

Antoinette is the main character who the story of the novel is based on. She had a rough childhood and an unhappy adult life which ended with her tragic death. Her father, Alexander Cosway drank himself to death after emancipation. Her mother favored her brother over her and rejected her when they were reunited after the incident where their house was burned down. She faced hatred and taunting by the blacks who called her a “white cockroach” because her family were poor whites before her mother remarried. She marries a man who doesn’t love her and only married her for her dowry. She eventually gets locked in the attic by her husband which leads to her burning her house down along with herself in a tragic death.

Annette

Annette is Antoinette’s mother who is a creole woman born in Martinique. Her first husband, Alexander Cosway, dies after the emancipation law was passed and she becomes poor. She faces opposition by the freed slaves because of her status as a poor widowed creole woman. She then gets remarried to Mr. Mason, a man who really married her for her estate. She is seen by others as crazy and disillusioned after the destruction of her Coulibri estate and the death of her beloved son. Annette eventually dies while Antoinette is at the Convent.

Christophine

Christophine was a wedding gift to Antoinette from her first husband. She is also from Martinique like Annette and practices obeah magic and therefore mostly avoided by others. Christophine remains loyal to the family and serves them even after emancipation. Antoinette sees her as a wise motherly figure and goes to her for help at times.

Mr. Mason

Mr. Mason is Annette’s second husband, Antoinette’s stepfather. He is an Englishman who sees a gain in the Coulibri estate. Mr. Mason underestimates the strength of the servants and calls them lazy and harmless. He talks freely in front of the servants about importing slaves which sparks a revolt that results in the Coulibri estate being burned down. After the fire, Mr. Mason abandons Annette and her children.

Aunt Cora

Aunt Cora is Antoinette’s aunt who lives alone in Spanish Town after the death of her husband. She is mother figure to Antoinette and cares for her. She takes Antoinette in after her mother rejected her and enrolls her in a convent school. However, Cora eventually abandons Antoinette also when she goes to England for a year. When she comes back, she gives Antoinette two of her treasured rings before she dies.

Mr. Rochester

Mr. Rochester is Antoinette’s husband. He is an Englishman who goes to Jamaica as a second son hoping to earn his own money and make his father proud. He married to Antoinette to acquire her dowry and never actually loved her. During their honeymoon, he keeps to himself his feelings of hatred towards the Caribbean home they stay at. At some point, he is convinced that Antoinette is crazy and locks her away in the attic when they go back to his home in England.

Amelie

Amelie is a servant who travels with Antoinette and Mr. Rochester to Granbois. She laughs when she first sees them which makes Mr. Rochester uncomfortable. When Antoinette slaps her for an inappropriate comment, she slaps her back and calls her a white cockroach. Amelie eventually sleeps with Mr. Rochester before leaving for Rio to find rich, generous men.

Grace Poole

Grace Poole is the woman placed in charge of guarding Antoinette and making sure she doesn’t escape the attic where she is being held. She is paid twice as much as the other servants in Mr. Rochester’s household in England to watch over Antoinette and to keep her a secret. However, because Grace is always drinking, she falls asleep giving Antoinette the chance to steal her keys and escape.