Janie - Janie Crawford is the female part-African American protagonist of the book. She has as much spine as an invertebrate and is a hopeless romantic, continually running away from reality in order to find the “perfect relationship”. Fortunately, she fins an equal idiot, and therefore soul mate, in Tea Cake. Good for her.

Logan - Logan Killicks was Janie the Polygamous’ first husband, and a pretty good man, so far as such things go. But he wanted her to actually get up and do something, so she left him and got married (while, note, still married to him).

Joe - Joe, or Jody, Starks was Janie the Polygamous’ second husband. He kept her as a locked-up trophy, so she yells at him after thirty or so years of this, and then he dies. Whoops. And then all the bit players were sad, because Jody was the mayor of the town. Oh well.

Tea Cake - Tea Cake (does anyone actually remember his real name? Guess not) was Janie the Polygamous’ One True Love. And she loved him even more when he beat her to show possession of her! Wow. I guess she’s into that kinky stuff. In any case, he dies too, after contracting rabies in a hurricane (now, why can’t he be like other people, and just drown? Not dramatic enough) and Janie the Polygamous shooting him (you’re the one who married him, smart one!). And then everyone cried, because he gambled, beat women, destroyed livelihood, did absolutely nothing with his life, and was therefore the single most beloved idiot in the current town of degenerates.

Other characters, who don’t matter because they’re not idiots or husbands of said idiots:

Johnny - Janie kissed him once. Hence, he is the most important symbol in the book. Or something.

Nanny - Y’know, forget Tea Cake. Do we know her name? She was a slave. She had a kid. Her kid had a kid. That kid was Janie. And then kid 1 left, so Nameless raised kid 2. Ya still with me?

the Turners - were your typical Southern American family of the time, bigoted racism and all. But Mrs. Taylor was a commandeering mulatto purity-enthusiast who wanted Janie to be part of the family, so the residents of the mud, or the slime, or whatever that place is called, attacked and destroyed her restaurant. Whoops.

Motor Boat - Lived in the Slime/Mud. He ran from the big storm (i.e., hurricane) with Tea Cake and Janie the polygamous, but DIDN’T get rabies! I wonder if JtP will marry him now.

Annie Tyler and Who Flung - Showed up once in the book. Yay.

Nunkie - Threatened Janie the Polygamous’ times of kinky love, so JtP hated her, then she disappeared. Hmm…