Thomas Sutpen The son of a poor mountain farmer who founded the Sutpen estate.

Henry Sutpen The son of Thomas and Ellen Coldfield Sutpen and heir to the Sutpen Hundred estate.

Judith Sutpen Henry’s strong and determined sister who falls in love with Charles Bon.

Clytie (Clytemnestra) “Sutpen” The mulatto daughter of Thomas Sutpen and an unnamed black slave.

Eulalia Bon Sutpen The Haitian wife of Thomas Sutpen whom he put aside when he discovered that she had some black blood.

Goodhue Coldfield A morally upright citizen whose righteousness caused Sutpen to marry into the family.

Ellen Coldfield Goodhue’s daughter who is married to Sutpen and who bears him two children, Henry and Judith.

Miss Rosa Coldfield Goodhue’s second daughter born twenty-seven years after her sister, Ellen.

Miss Rosa’s Aunt This mysterious figure lived with the Coldfields and greatly influenced Miss Rosa’s early life.

General Compson The first of the respectable men to accept Thomas Sutpen. He tells his grandson, Quentin, a great deal about Sutpen.

Jason Compson III (Mr. Compson) General Compson’s son who narrates part of the Sutpen story.

Quentin Compson A student at Harvard who tries to tell what the South is like by telling the story of the Thomas Sutpen family.

Shreve (Shrevlin McCannon) Quentin’s roommate at Harvard who listens to the Sutpen story and also participates in its narration.

Charles Bon The one-sixteenth black son of Thomas Sutpen and Eulalia Bon who becomes engaged to his own half-sister, Judith.

Charles Etienne Saint Valery Bon (or Charles Etienne de Saint Velery Bon) The son of Charles Bon and his octoroon mistress. In the appendix of the novel, Faulkner added the “de” to his name and changed the spelling from Valery to Velery.

Jim Bond The idiot child of Charles Etienne Saint Valery Bon and his pure-black wife.

Wash Jones A poor white man who lives on Sutpen’s plantation and who idolizes Thomas Sutpen.

Akers A coon hunter who discovers the Sutpen blacks and who observes and reports on other of Sutpen’s actions.

Judge Benbow The judge who looks after the affairs of Miss Rosa Coldfield and who pays her bills out of his own money.

Percy Benbow The judge’s son who discovers that his father used money won at horse racing to pay for Miss Rosa’s bills.

Major de Spain The sheriff who was forced to kill Wash Jones when he came to investigate Sutpen’s murder.

Jim Hamblett The justice who presided at the trial of Charles Etienne Saint Valery Bon when he was accused of disturbing the peace.

Alexander Holston The owner of the Holston House.

Ikkemotubbe The Indian chief from whom Sutpen acquired his land.

Melicent Jones Wash’s daughter and the mother of Milly.

Milly Jones The fifteen-year-old daughter of Melicent who was seduced by the sixty-year-old Sutpen.

Luster A young black boy who is frightened off the Sutpen place by Clytie.

Theophilus McCaslin Often known as “Uncle Buck” in other works, in this novel he helps bury Charles Bon.

Pettibone The wealthy plantation owner from whose front door Thomas Sutpen was turned away.

Colonel John Sartoris The man whom Sutpen replaced as commanding officer during the American Civil War.

Colonel Willow The officer who reported to Sutpen that Henry was wounded.