Nikhil is a good man who prides himself on being generous and thoughtful. He is unusual in that, given the tradition and wealth of his family, he could have married a woman with both beauty and social status. However, he marries Bimala, who is not a beauty. Nikhil’s love for Bimala and marriage to her, show that he is no lover of vanity. His needs are simple.

Nikhil’s insight is not a product of his education. He embraces a contemplative life and lives according to the dictates of his own conscience. However, Nikhil’s insistence on putting thoughtfulness and kindness over rushing into brash action puts him at odds with naïve idealists who fall under the sway of Sandip’s rhetoric. Though his moral code puts him at odds with rioters and results in tragic consequences, there is reason to suspect he is at peace with the outcome. 

Bimala progresses through the novel from a humble maiden who enjoys being devoted to her husband, to a capricious, unhappy woman who allows an infatuation with Sandip to bring disaster into her life. Her humble beginnings account for her relative lack of education. However, during the happy times when she wants nothing but Nikhil, she is not presented as being ignorant.