Ms. Hawkins

Ms. Hawkins is the main character of "The Mother." She is the titular mother of Hawk, a man who believed himself to be a messiah who committed ritualized suicide along with much of the rest of his cult upon being sentenced to decades in prison for touching the genitals of one of his daughters. She was a prostitute when she was younger in order to make money for her son, but had fallen mostly out of contact with him when she refused to believe his religious proclamations.

Ridley

Ridley is the main character of "Cutting Horse." He is living outside because of his strained relationship with his wife, Cole, precipitated by his physical abuse toward her. He resents her for making him change so much of his life in order to integrate more into the white society that she wanted to live within.

Lettie

Lettie is the...