• Iris Fisher / Iris van den Meer: the one whom the tale follows as she views the events that would become the fairy tale. She is the daughter of Margarethe Fisher and Jack Fisher, and younger sister to Ruth Fisher. When her mother marries Cornelius van den Meer, Iris becomes Clara van den Meer's stepsister. She is described as "painfully plain-faced" by her own mother, and several times refers to herself as a hound. Over the course of the story Iris develops an interest in art and painting, and develops feelings for Caspar, but firmly denies them. She is based on the younger stepsister. • Margarethe ten Broek Fisher / Margarethe van den Meer: mother of Iris and Ruth Fisher, and later becomes the stepmother of Clara after marrying her father. Her motives for marrying Clara’s father are purely to keep herself and her daughters fed. Whether she loves Clara’s father is unstated and unlikely, especially given her motto of "Give me room to cast my eel spear, and let follow what may", but she is reasonably kind to him. It is hinted that the Master is interested in Margarethe, but his feelings are not returned. She is tough on all of the children and expects them to take care of her because she has more important things to do with her new life. She is based on the stepmother. • Ruth Fisher / Ruth van den Meer: the oldest, mentally handicapped (possibly
autistic) daughter of Margarethe Fisher, older sister of Iris and one of the stepsisters of Clara. She is ultimately revealed as the story's narrator. She is based on the older stepsister. • Clara van den Meer: the only child of Van den Meer and his first wife, Henrika. She's a beautiful girl, but is kept hidden away in her home, originally against her will by her mother, but once her mother dies, she stays at home by choice. As a child, she was
kidnapped and kept hostage in a
windmill by a Mr. van Stolk, her father's business associate, who received half of her family's fortune as
ransom. Clara believes that it was water-spirits who kidnapped her, and turned her into a
changeling, which she believes that she is. After her mother's death, Clara begins to spend her time by the
hearth and coins her own names of "Ashgirl", "Cinderling", and "
Cinderella". She is based on the
titular character. • Henrika Vinckboons van den Meer: Clara's mother. She kept Clara locked inside their home, to protect her from the dangers of the world. She is poisoned by Margarethe and does not survive the birth of her second child. She is based on Cinderella's mother. • Cornelius van den Meer: Clara's father. He's a businessman and involved in the
tulip industry. The Fishers later refer to him as "Papa Cornelius". He goes into a seemingly
catatonic state of
depression, barely paying attention to anything but their oncoming poverty and how much his family has changed. He is based on Cinderella's father. • Luykas Schoonmaker: a local painter "not quite known as the Master of the Dordrecht Altarpiece" and the first to shelter the Fishers. He later asks them to move back, but they do not return because Margarethe marries Van den Meer. • Caspar: Master's apprentice. He's in love with Iris and she with him, but Margarethe disapproves and attempts to steer Iris away from him by hinting that Caspar is homosexual. In the epilogue in the novel, it is revealed that Caspar later marries Iris. ==Adaptation==