Joe Bonham
Joe Bonham is the main character in the story. The actions begin after Joe is critically wounded in the war and after Joe became incapable of talking, hearing or walking again. The action happens inside Joe’s head and he is both the narrator and the protagonist in his memories. The memories are most of the time triggered by outside sensations and Joe gets lost in his memories to the point that he becomes unable to tell the difference between what is real and what is a flashback. Joe tells his own story through his memories and it is through those memories the reader finds that Joe was the son of a humble man who like many more young men during those times was lured into signing on for war. Joe had a happy and calm childhood and his ideas about war and the value of freedom and one’s purpose in a war were influenced by those around him. But Joe quickly realized that reality was far more different from he imagined it to be and thus he began to wish that he would be able to warn others about the dangers of war and tell them the truth. When he realizes that he will never be able to do that, he questions his value and the purpose and the novel ends with him asking himself over and over again ‘’why’’, referring to all the things that happened to him.
Joe’s father
While Joe’s father is not mentioned, he is an important figure in Joe’s life. Joe’s father was a small farmer who was able to provide for his family but was still considered as being unsuccessful by his peers. Joe’s family decided to move to Los Angeles when Joe was a young teenager and Joe’s father died shortly after that. Joe’s father was a humble man who loved his family and who remained in Joe’s memory as a kind man. In fact, the first memory Joe has after he wakes up is one with his father.
The first nurse
After a while, Joe is able to tell the differences between the nurses and doctors visiting him based on the difference between the vibrations they cause. The nurse that takes care of Jon for the longest time is the first nurse. While Joe never sees her, he imagines her as being quite old and heavy, experienced and sure of her actions. The nurse however does not understand that Joe wants to communicate with her and his attempts are taken by her as being signs that Joe is uncomfortable. She tries to help him but is unable to because she can’t comprehend the fact that Joe may still be capable of human interaction and may still want to communicate.
The second nurse
The second nurse appears in the last two chapters of the novel. Joe takes her to be younger that the previous nurse and she surprise him when she tries to communicate with him by writing Merry Christas on his chest. This interaction is important for Jon because it is the first time in many years when he feels that the person beside him considers him to be a human. The second nurse is also the one who realizes that Jon’s movements are not a sign of distress but rather an attempt to communicate with the outside world.
Joe’s mother
Just like Joe’s father, the mother remains unnamed. However, Joe feels extremely attached to his mother and he loves her dearly. At one point, Joe feels scared because he doesn’t want his mother to see him in his current condition. In most of his memories with her, Joe’s mother is either singing or baking, thus indicating the fact that his mother is a presence that brings him comfort.
Jody Simmons
Jody is a man appearing in the first chapter, one of Joe’s coworkers. Just like Joe, Jody worked in a bakery in Los Angeles.
Mr. Harhraves
He is the superintendent at the school where Joe used to go. The superintendent is linked with the plane the children once saw passing over their village. The image of the plane is important because it is linked with the idea of peace during war time.
Kareen
Kareen was Joe’s girlfriend before he went to war. Joe and Kareen spent a night together and Kareen gave Joe a ring as a lucky charm. The fate of the ring is what worries Joe when he wakes up in the third chapter.
Mike
Mike is Kareen’s father, a former coal miner whose body became deformed after the hard work he had done all his life. Apart from having a disfigured body, Mike is also stern and rough with Karren and Joe. However, he does have a soft side to him and lets Joe and Kareen spend a night together in his home before Joe leaves to join the army.
Howie
Howie is one of Joe’s friends. Howie and Joe went to work in the desert on the railroads because their girlfriends cheated on them with the same man.
Diane
Diane is Joe’s former girlfriend that cheated on him with a man named Glen Hogan. Because of this, Joe went to work in the desert.
Glen Hogan
Glen is a man that lived in the same town as Joe and Howie. Diane and Onie cheated on Howie and Joe with Glen.
Onie
Onie was Howie’s girlfriend who cheated on him with Glen.
Bill
Bill was one of Joe’s friends and also the first one to tell Joe that Diane was cheating on him. Not wanting to believe him, Joe punched him and left to work in the desert. When Joe decided to return home, Joe realized that he should apologize and ask for Bill’s forgiveness. But this never happens because Joe sees Diane and Bill kissing in front of Diane’s home. It is later revealed that Bill died in the war.
Jose
Jose was an immigrant who ended working in the same bakery that Joe did. Jose was a pleasant man to work with and was very humble. Because of this, he was appreciated both by his employer and by his workmates.
Jody Simmons
Jody was the manager at the bakery where Jose and Joe used to work.
Pinky Carson
Carson was another man working in the same bakery where Joe worked in Los Angeles.
Laurette, Bonnie, Lucky
These girls are all prostitutes whom Joe meets during his lifetime.
