The most significant character who develops the characteristics of Marguerite - the protagonist, is Miss Flowers. The connection between Miss Flowers and Marguerite is displayed strongly throughout the story, which causes a bond between the characters, scaling the importance of any actions Miss Flowers does involving Marguerite. One instance of where this bond is displayed is through Marguerite's adoration for Mrs Flowers: "She has remained throughout my life what the measure of a human being can be" (Angelou 238); this quote shows the great magnitude that Miss Flowers carries insides Maya's mind, by the way, she looks up to Miss Flowers. Using this background, the primary change Mrs Flowers had a significant effect on Marguerite's characteristics was that Mrs Flowers provided a tunnel between two stages of her life, enabling Maya to become more confident and overcome her mental block of inability to talk. The narrative exemplifies this transformation when Marguerite reflects: "I was liked, and what a difference it made" (Tan 245), which shows Marguerite's appreciation for Mrs Flowers's care for her and the effects of her care.

Nevertheless, there are other effects. Tan additionally expresses the crippling effects when she talks about her mother's boyfriend's view of her mother: "Later he openly brought his girlfriends home to humiliate her, to prove that her beauty and her pride were worth nothing" (Tan 6). Her boyfriend's actions show the trouble her mother went through to be seen as too beautiful, showcasing the dual nature of beauty.

Barbara Kingsolver's Japanese friend demonstrates an indispensable role in the plot. Her Japanese friend expresses, "To forgive, for us, is the highest satisfaction. To forgive a foreigner, ah! Even better. You have probably made many people happy here" (Kingsolver 779). This quote marks a pivotal point when Barbara begins to understand Japanese culture. When she thinks about her friend's words, the guilt of not being up to Japanese standards dissipates, which lets her adopt the culture as her own.

The most important character in the story is Saeed's mother. She is very influential throughout the story; even during his time in college, Saeed and his mother still manage to stay in touch. Their relationship is evident in this passage: "Mom and I would call each other once a week, sometimes more. If I let more than a week lapse, I just felt vaguely off and unsure why until I realized that I hadn't heard her [his mother] voice in however many days" (Jones 95). This statement portrays the vital presence of Saeed's mother in his life as without her, Saeed feels uneasy. However, Saeed is still nervous when mentioning sensitive topics with his mother, such as his dating life and studies. Saeed's mixed emotions when communicating with his mom demonstrate the complexity of their relationship. With all this said, Saeed's mother is the most influential character in the story because she influences Saeed's emotions and actions.

The most influential character in the story is Amy Tan's mother, whose actions progress the story by causing Amy Tan to doubt her beauty. One report highlights this influence: "She should know, she said. She had been born a natural beauty" (Tan 4). Through this statement, Amy Tan's mother sets an expectation for Amy, even though she later describes Amy as not attractive. Additionally, Amy's physical appearance and her mother's perception of it create a contrast that leads to Amy feeling self-conscious. This experience helps her realize that beauty goes beyond looks. To add, her mother also contributes to Amy's self-doubt by tormenting her: "Too bad you got your father's feet" (Tan 8), which causes Amy to become more insecure and obsessed with getting better looks. However, the end of the story marks the impact of her mother's influence, as all the actions Amy's mother took 'scarred' her. This effect is evident in Amy's question: 'If beauty is bad luck, why do I still want it?' (Tan 11). By entwining all these effects the mother had explicitly, one can see that her mother was the one who made Amy the character she is.