Gogol's mother who experiences displacement and loneliness upon immigrating to America but eventually assimilates into her new life while maintaining cultural ties.

Gogol's father, whose love for Russian literature indirectly influences Gogol's name, and who strives to create a new life for his family in America after surviving a tragic accident.

A young woman of Bengali heritage and Gogol's contemporary, who seeks to forge her own identity away from traditional expectations and shares a brief relationship with Gogol.

One of Gogol's girlfriends, who embodies an all-American lifestyle and offers Gogol a glimpse into a family dynamic different from his own.