- Jack Torrance is a dynamic, round character and is the antagonist of the book. At the beginning of the novel he is a sober, loving father and husband, who is just looking for work. At least he is trying to be. All Jack wants to do is take care of Wendy and especially Danny. He wants to be the best father he can, and control his temper, to not end up like his father. When Jack takes the job to be the winter care-taker of the Overlook Hotel, it eventually takes a toll on him. He begins to drink again, and his mind becomes more and more demented. He can no longer control his anger, and turns into the monster he never wanted to be.
- Wendy Torrance is a dynamic, flat character. She begins as a very dependent wife, and a loving mother to Danny. When Jack takes the job at the Overlook she thinks that everything will be fine and all her problems will go away. At the hotel she does her daily duties to help out, and tries to keep Jack focused on his work. A couple of times she oversteps her limits with a very deranged Jack and stirs up trouble. By the end of the novel Wendy becomes very independent and tries to take matters into her own hands, and eventually is safe with her son.
- Danny Torrance is a dynamic, round, and complex character. He is also the protagonist of the book. He is one of the main focal points of the novel. He loves his father so much and thinks the highest of him, even though some past events Jack hasn't been the greatest father. Danny has a special ability, Dick calls "the shining." This power comes out through Tony, who helps Danny see visions of things (Redrum). He uses this ability to contact someone, who shares this power, for help when all goes to Hell at the overlook. By the end of the novel Danny eventually comes to terms with Tony and the reality of his father.
- Dick Hallorann is a static round character and is the protagonist. He is an employee of the Overlook when it is open for guests. He shares a similar quality with Danny, which he calls the shining. When he can feel the shining coming on he goes into a state and can taste the flavor of oranges in his mouth. Dick can communicate with Danny using this power, and eventually becomes the hero of Wendy and Danny, when they are in danger of the hotel.
- Delbert Grady is the antagonist of the story. He is a static and round character. Grady was the care taker of the hotel about five years before Jack. He had a wife and twin daughters. Eventually the hotel took a toll on him as well as jack, and he ended up killing his daughters with a hatchet, his wife and himself with a shotgun. Throughout Jack's turn of taking care of The Overlook, Grady appears to him and sickens his mind with evil thoughts and influences him to do some unruly actions.