The narrator:

A typical Englishman who enjoys his solitude. He's the antagonist from whose the point of view the whole story is told. The narrator is a racist character, he doesn't like Mr. Kelada only because he thinks that he's not British.  In the time of the British Empire, and indeed for a long time afterwards, the British did not really like foreigners and felt superior to them. We haven't been told the name of the narrator because he could be anyone of us. 

Max Kelada ( Mr. Kelada ):

Known as Mr. Know-All, Max Kelada is the main character, he is a loquacious person, who pretends to know everything on the ship. He boasts about his extensive knowledge and experiences. He intervenes in all the activities that are held on the ship. He can never be mistaken in a discussion, he always says the last word, and he's always right. He works in the pearl business. He is believed to be somewhere from The Middle East, but he grew up in a British Colony, which explains why he has an English passport. Despite his know-it-all demeanor, he is shown to have some vulnerabilities and secrets. 

Mrs. Ramsay:

Mrs. Ramsay is a fellow passenger on the ship. She is an Englishwoman who respects the conservative and conventional values of the time. She initially dislikes Mr. Kelada due to his different background and blunt manners. She tries to maintain a proper social distance from him. 

Mr. Ramsay:

A fellow American passenger on the ship. The only person who is as dogmatic as Mr. Kelada, and the only one who doesn't get tired from arguing with him. He works in the American Consular. He's described as a heavy person, whose his body bursts out of his clothes.