| | | | Part 1 |
| 1 | Elizabeth | Packard | Protagonist. |
| | Theophilus | Packard | Elizabeth's husband. |
| | Libby | Packard | Elizabeth's daughter. |
| | Arthur | Packard | Elizabeth's son. |
| | George | Packard | Elizabeth's son. |
| | Samuel | Packard | Elizabeth's son. |
| | Isaac | Packard | Elizabeth's son. AKA: Toffy. |
| 2 | Spring | | The deacon in Theophilus' church. |
| | Sarah | Rumsey | The Packard's new maid. |
| | Sybil | Dole | Theophilus' sister. |
| | Mr. | Comstock | Isaac's boss. |
| | William | Haslett | The town supervisor. |
| | Deacon | Dole | Sybil's husband. |
| | Dr. | Newkirk | Members of Theophilus' church. |
| | Merrick | | Members of Theophilus' church. |
| 4 | Rebeca | Blessing | Elizabeth's friend. |
| 5 | Tenny | | The asylum's assistant physician. |
| | Mrs. | De La Hay | The asylum's attendant. |
| 6 | Andrew | McFarland | The asylum's superintendent. |
| 7 | Christopher | Knott | The doctor who signed Elizabeth's insanity certificate. |
| 8 | Sarah | Minard | Elizabeth's close compatriot. |
| | Ira | Minard | Sarah's husband. A real estate mogul. |
| | Elizabeth Cady | Stanton | A women's rights campaigner. |
| | Maria | Chapman | Elizabeth's new friend. |
| | Cyrus | McCormick | One of America's richest men. |
| 9 | Isaac | Blessing | Rebecca's husband. |
| | Dr. | Shirley | The Blessing's psychiatrist. |
| 10 | James | Cowles-Prichard | An englishman. |
| 11 | Mrs. | Hosmer | The sewing room directress. |
| 12 | Isaac | Baker-Brown | Senior surgeon at London Surgical Home. |
| 13 | Celia | Coe | One of the asylum's attendants. |
| | | | Part 2 |
| 16 | Miss | Weaver | One of the patients. |
| 17 | Jenny | Haslety | One of the patients. |
| 18 | Sarah | Triplet | The most dangerous patient in the women's ward. |
| 20 | Sallie | Low | One of the patients. |
| | Betsy | Clarke | Elizabeth's new friend |
| | Emily | Goldsby | The epileptic woman. |
| | Emeline | Bridgman | Elizabeth's special friend. |
| | | | Part 3 |
| 24 | James | Coe | The asylum's cook. |
| | Mrs. | Celia | The asylum's cook. |
| | Lizzie | Bonner | The patient beater. |
| | Dorothea | Dix | A mental health campaigner. |
| | Mrs. | Grere | One of the patients. |
| 25 | Miss | Smith | The new head of Eight Ward. |
| | Mary | Bailey | Miss Smith's assistant. |
| 26 | William | Brown | The chairman. |
| 29 | Sophia | Olsen | Elizabeth's biggest fan. |
| | | | Part 4 |
| 32 | Angeline | Field | Elizabeth's cousin. |
| | | | Part 5 |
| 36 | David | Field | Angeline's husband. |
| 37 | Caroline Ann | Haslett | Elizabeth's friend. AKA: Sarah. |
| | Hervey | Severance | Theophilus' brother-in-law. |
| | Marian | Severance | Theophilus' sister. |
| 39 | James | Mann | A Manteno physician. |
| | Joseph | Way | A psychologist from Kankakee. |
| | Charles | Starr | The judge. |
| | JOseph | Younglove | One of Elizabeth's friends. |
| | Mason | Loomuis | Theophilus' lawyer. |
| | Thomas | Bonfield | One of Theophilus' lawyers. |
| | Steve | Moore | Elizabeth's lawyer. |
| | James | Orr | Moore's assistant. |
| | Harrison | Loring | Moore's assistant. |
| 42 | Lemuel | Milk | One of the juries. |
| 43 | Chauncey | Lake | One of Theophilus' lawyers. |
| 44 | Isaac | Simington | The Methodist minister. |
| | Daniel | Needy | Former Manteno supervisor. |
| 45 | Alexander | Duncasson | One of Elizabeth's witnesses. |
| | | | Part 6 |
| 49 | Richard | Oglesby | The Governor. |
| 51 | Allen | Fuller | The General. |
| | Tirzah | Shedd | Elizabeth's witness. |
| 53 | Samuel | Ware | Elizabeth's father. |
