Caleb, the novel’s protagonist and narrator, is born to humble parents in remote England but manages to educate himself well. He can read, write, and do math; he excels in sports but devotes a lot of time to mechanical invention. He is extremely curious to the point of it becoming a downfall, and he has a desire for adventure. While working for Ferdinando Falkland, his curiosity leads him to look too far into Ferdinando’s past, setting in motion the trouble he spends the rest of the novel avoiding. By the end of the story, Caleb has changed from the light-hearted individual that he was in the beginning into a defeated and miserable man. He stumbles repeatedly into unlucky situations, such as being mistaken for a wanted man while feigning an Irish accent for a disguise.

Ferdinando is a country squire who owns the land where Caleb’s parents lived; when they died, Ferdinando took Caleb in as a ward and employee. He is small and delicate in stature and initially appears kind, attentive, and anxious. However, he soon reveals his true self—one riddled with guilt over a murder that he committed and has kept a secret for years.