Randolph
Randolph is the son of Sophy and the Mr. Twycott (the vicar).
He is proud, arrogant and imagines himself to posses the qualities that are required to be a gentleman. Randolph showed this attitude even as a young boy, in the way he reacts to things and behaves. An example would be when he would irritably correct his mother's grammar as a child, as if he thinks so low of her already. He is impatient, fastidious and sometimes very cold-hearted, this is apparent, again, in the way he acts towards his mother. He is annoyed at the mistakes she makes and insists that she corrects herself, especially around other people. He has no feelings for anyone 'lower' than him, even if it's his own mother for whom he shows disrespect. Randolph's character is also revealed to be tyrannical and ill-mannered as the story progresses and we find that he doesn't have the so-called 'gentleman qualities' he claims to have.
Sophy
Sophy is described as a timid and spineless woman in this story, who leads her life as a puppet. She suffered an injury that left her unable to 'walk and bustle about'; married a man whom she 'did not exactly love'; and raised a son alone for whom she had unlimited love but with whom she was denied the permission to marry the man she really loved, Sam. Sophy is a very caring considerate and selfless person. This is shown when she asks permission from her own son to marry the one she loved. She took into consideration the opinion of Randolph and even put it above her own. She is also revealed to be a very patient and gentle character as she waited five long years for her son's approval until she eventually died. Even when Randolph reacted...