Reuel Briggs is the protagonist of the story. He is a man with mental gifts and “superior physical endowments” (2). His body is well-built and strong, and he has light-colored skin suggesting “olive” that indicates his biracial identity. While Reuel is an excellent medical student, he struggles financially and supports himself by writing scientific articles. As he denies his African American identity to avoid racial discrimination, Reuel is often distressed and melancholic. He is interested in mysticism and spiritualism and often experiences disturbing visions. The narrative reveals Reuel’s traumatic family history, which presents the legacy of enslavement as the source of the Black character’s distress and suffering. Reuel is friends with Aubrey Livingston, a fellow medical student, who is a Southern white man. Their relationship is patronizing, as Aubrey has gained Reuel’s devotion by helping him financially. Reuel also explores alternative forms of medical practices like mesmerism and animal magnetism.

Reuel falls in love with Dianthe Lusk, whom he first sees in a vision. Later, he revives her after a train accident leaves her unconscious. He marries her the same day he leaves for his African expedition, suggesting that the relationship is not physically consummated.