Niggle is the protagonist of the story. He lives in the countryside and wants to spend all his time painting, but he feels bombarded by the requests of others and the practical tasks he must…
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Parish
Parish is Niggle’s only neighbor in the countryside. At the beginning of the story, he is more of a hassle than a friend to Niggle, constantly asking him to run errands and only valuing…
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Parish’s Wife
Parish’s wife lives with Parish in the house next to Niggle’s home. She refers to Niggle in an offhand way as “that Mr. Niggle” and is perhaps slyer than Parish himself in taking advantage…
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The Inspector of Houses
The Inspector of Houses is an especially tall man who comes to visit Niggle. He, like all visitors, is perceived as a nuisance by Niggle, doubly so because his purpose is to ensure that…
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The Driver
The Driver is a strict and mysterious figure dressed in black who comes to collect Niggle for his dreaded journey. He is focused only on ensuring that Niggle makes it to the station in time…
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The Porter first appears on the platform at the station where Niggle gets off the first train. Instead of yelling the name of the stop, he yells Niggle’s name, implying he has some knowledge of…
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The Doctor
The doctor tends to Niggle at the Workhouse. When Niggle first arrives, the doctor treats him harshly, prescribing bitter medicine. But at the end of Niggle’s time in the Workhouse, the doctor gives him a…
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First Voice
The First Voice is one of the two Voices Niggle hears when he is ordered to rest after his long stint of hard labor at the Workhouse. The Voices discuss whether Niggle is ready to…
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Second Voice
The Second Voice is one of the two Voices that discuss Niggle’s character and decide whether he deserves to move from the Workhouse to the “next stage.” It is gentler than the First Voice…
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The Shepherd
The shepherd appears when Niggle ventures to the foot of the mountains after he has finished tending to the land of his painting. He offers himself to Niggle as a guide and reveals that he…
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Councillor Tompkins
Councillor Tompkins is an official of high importance from Niggle’s town. At the end of the story, he discusses Niggle’s life and work with Atkins—another one of the townspeople—and dismisses Niggle’s painting as…
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Atkins
Atkins is a schoolmaster who, at the end of the story, discusses Niggle with Councillor Tompkins. He is more sympathetic towards Niggle and disagrees with Tompkins when he suggests that Niggle was useless before…
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Minor Characters
Perkins
Perkins is the third member of the conversation involving Councillor Tompkins and Atkins at the end of the story, appearing only to say that he never knew Niggle painted.