Lutie Johnson , the story's protagonist, is a single black mother who moves away from her family to live on her own in 1940s Harlem. She lives in a building with her son, Bub, and is constantly reading and thinking about Benjamin Franklin, who she considers a hero, and whose work-ethic she tries to emulate.
Mrs. Hedges is a madame who lives in Lutie's building. She pays off the police to make sure that she is not caught for running a whore house. She spends her days gazing out of her window and at the people passing on 116th street.
Min lives with Jones, the abusive super. She has a cross above her bed, and sees Prophet David about ways she can make Jones a better man.
Jones is the super of Lutie's building, who lusts after Lutie, and is a very lonely man. He was previously in the Navy, and he also worked as a night watchman.
Junto owns Junto's Bar and Grill. Junto is a term originating in English politics of the 1640s and the early 1700s, that was made famous in America by Benjamin Franklin who founded a club in Philadelphia with the name Junto ( c . 1730), and the Bar and Grill serves as a meeting place for the poor people of Harlem.
Bub is Lutie's son. He is young, and dislikes being left alone. He is scared of the dark.
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