The narration of this short story is first person, past tense with Twyla as the narrator talking about her life. The voice is omniscient since she is talking from personal experience. There is some dialogue which helps to understand how the characters interact with one another, although had the story just been dialogue it would be viewed differently because the characters wouldn't appear to be as deep due to lack of details.
Twyla (though not clear) is assumed to be black and never got very far in life. Waitress at one point. She was a hypocrite. Twyla was cruel like the big girls at St. Bonny's, but not in the same way (she herself was mean like the big girls -calling Maggie a dummy and bow-legged and wanting to see her hurt / calling people who wanted adopt kids mean names / and keeps saying she "would've killed" someone...including her mother).
Roberta is put across as snobbish (ignoring Twyla when they reunite for the first time). She (her reputation) comes before her friends. She is assumed to be white since her mother and she are both rude to Twyla and her mother at some point.
Twyla's mother is portrayed as uncaring - doesn't feed Twyla well - and incapable of properly caring for her child. She puts her own needs before her child's - going out dancing all the time rather than taking care of her daughter.
Roberta's mother comes across as stuck up, but cares deeply for her child - bringing her good food.
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