The Narrator
The first-person narrator, protagonist, and only truly major character in the story is an unnamed young boy. He is introduced lying in bed on Christmas Eve, trying to remain as quiet as possible so that he can hear the sound of the bells on Santa’s sleigh as it arrives to dispense the gifts of the season. He is a bit anxious because a friend has insisted this is a sound he will never hear because Santa does not exist. Even though he dismisses this denial because he is a true believer, his almost catatonic stillness reveals there is at least a small kernel of doubt.
That doubt is dismissed with the arrival of an unexpected sound. Instead of sleigh bells, it is the hissing of a steam locomotive called the Polar Express. His fervent belief in the seemingly impossible is confirmed when he eagerly boards the train without hesitation or fear. The boy’s unquestioned acceptance of the fantastical and easy facility with the wondrous becomes his defining character trait.
Upon arriving at the North Pole, the boy also expresses no hesitation or shyness in giving an honest and truthful answer to Santa’s query as to what he likes to receive as a gift. His request for one of the silver bells on Santa’s sleigh is granted. The boy’s depth of character is further delineated when after discovering that he has lost the precious bell through a hole in his pocket, he does not make a scene and tries to exert a right to return to Santa for a replacement even though he describes himself heartbroken to have lost the treasure.
The Boy’s Family
Although the turning point of the narrative occurs at the North Pole, Santa remains a minor character whose entire appearance is described above. The boy’s mother, father, and sister are equally relegated to one small scene, but their presence looms larger thematically than their brief appearance in the narrative would seem.
The family gathers around the tree for the Christmas Day ritual of opening gifts. Just when it seems as of every box has been unwrapped, the boy’s sister Sarah discovers a very small box hidden behind the tree with the narrator’s name on it. There is also a handwritten from one “Mr. C.” advising him to get the hole in his pocket fixed. He reaches inside, pulls out the precious silver bell, and proceeds to shake it.
Sarah agrees that the sound it produces is the most beautiful thing she’s ever heard. Much to his surprise, however, both his mother and father express the opinion that the bell must be broken since it failed to produce any sound when rung. As the years pass by, eventually even Sarah reaches a point where she can no longer hear the beautiful ringing of the bell. Not surprisingly, the bell continues to ring out loud, pure, and beautiful for the narrator despite growing older with each passing Christmas.
The Conductor
Despite the enlargement of his role in the film adaptation, the conductor remains a minor character in the book. He exists primarily for the sake of being an adult supervisor for the kids making the journey to the North Pole. He also informs the kids that one child is chosen personally by Santa to become the recipient of the first gift of Christmas and when Santa picks the narrator for this honor, he helps the boy onto and down from Santa’s sleigh. His final words are a shout of “Merry Christmas” to the narrator before guiding the Polar Express out of sight.
