Our Nig · Characters
Character guide
Key figures in Our Nig by Harriet E. Wilson.
Skim names here — open a free preview to see character cards and Character Web beside the page as you read.
Frado
major
Also known as Poor Frado, Seizing Frado, Nig
Frado enters the Bellmonts as an indentured servant, expected to earn her keep from childhood until eighteen. Her roguish spirit and stubborn independence collide with Mrs. Bellmont's cruelty, while small kindnesses from Jack, Aunt Abby, and James offer fleeting shelter. Her struggle to assert rights, keep her faith, and find a place in a house that calls her 'nig' drives the novel's central arc.
Mag Smith
supporting
Also known as Moore Lonely Mag Smith, Mag, Poor Mag, poor Mag
Mag's early ruin leaves her isolated, and her marriage to Seth Shipley offers no real protection for her children. When the family must move, she agrees to place Frado with the Bellmonts, half-aware of the household's reputation. Her surrender sets the novel's central abandonment in motion and haunts Frado's sense of being unwanted.
Mrs. Bellmont
major
Also known as Mrs. B., the indignant Mrs. B.
Mrs. Bellmont controls the household through fear, and Frado's body and time belong to her absolutely. Her cruelty is methodical and self-justifying, yet her grief over Mary's death briefly stills the house before the old tempests return. Her tyranny forces Frado to learn defiance and endurance, making her the novel's central antagonist.
Mr. Bellmont
supporting
Also known as Bellmont, Mr. B.
Mr. Bellmont is the household's nominal head, but his authority collapses before Mrs. B.'s temper, leaving Frado without real protection. He pities her, and his presence restrains her mistress somewhat, yet he will not intervene decisively. His helplessness exposes how Northern households could shelter cruelty behind a mild patriarch's silence.
Jack
supporting
Jack is the first Bellmont to want Frado kept, arguing she is handsome, bright, and useful. He writes to his brother James about her merits and hints that mother treats her unjustly, making him an early ally. Yet his sympathy is inconsistent, and his small kindnesses cannot shield her from the household's daily violence.
Mary
supporting
Also known as Miss Mary, sister Mary
Mary resents Frado's presence from the start, declaring she wants no 'nigger' near her, and her cruelty rivals her mother's. When the parents travel, Mary holds sole authority over Frado, turning weeks into a gauntlet of scolding, boxing, and overwork. Her death later shakes the household but does not soften Mrs. Bellmont's hand.
Jane
supporting
Also known as Miss Jane
Jane moves through the Bellmont household as the softer sister, the one who sits with Aunt Abby and shows Frado a measure of ordinary kindness. When George Means's attentions expose how little she feels for the suitor her mother has chosen, her private dissatisfaction becomes a family storm she cannot control. Her struggle to answer a letter, and to answer for her own affections, gives the early household its clearest picture of how Mrs. Bellmont's will presses on everyone beneath her roof.
Aunt Abby
supporting
Also known as good Aunt Abby, Abby
Aunt Abby is the Bellmont household's conscience in a rocking chair, the relative whose quiet room becomes a refuge for both Frado and the ailing James. She listens to Frado's grief in the barn, contradicts the world's contempt for her, and resolves to take the girl home if her health returns. Her confidence and her promises matter because they show Frado, and the reader, that the cruelty around her is not the whole country's opinion.
Susan
minor
A friend or acquaintance who interacts with the Bellmont household.
Jim
minor
Also known as Shelley Jim, James, Tupper James, H. K. W. James, Poor James
A suitor or acquaintance of Mag Smith, possibly Frado's father.
Seth Shipley
minor
Also known as Seth
Mag Smith's second husband, who abandons her and Frado.
George Means
minor
Also known as George
A local man who interacts with the Bellmonts or Frado.
Henry Reed
minor
Also known as Henry
A character who appears in the later part of the story.
Samuel
minor
Also known as The long absent Samuel
A relative or acquaintance who returns after a long absence.
Mrs. Moore
minor
Also known as the kind Mrs. Moore
A kind woman who briefly helps or shelters Frado.
Jenny
minor
Also known as Meantime Jenny
A minor servant or worker in the household.
John
minor
A minor character in the Bellmont household or community.
Fido
minor
Also known as Poor little Fido
Frado's beloved dog, a companion in her loneliness.
Miss Marsh
minor
A teacher or visitor who shows kindness to Frado.
Peter Greene
minor
Also known as Pete Greene, Pete
A local man who interacts with the Bellmonts.
Nab
minor
A minor character, possibly a servant or neighbor.
Lewis
minor
A minor character mentioned in the narrative.
Mrs. Hoggs
minor
A neighbor or acquaintance of the Bellmonts.