Jonathan Iwegbu is the optimistic protagonist of the story. Depicted as hard-working, industrious, and resilient, he maintains a positive outlook in the face of adversity. Despite the loss of his son, he is grateful for what he has. His character represents Nigeria’s hard-working, honest people after that nation’s civil war. Jonathan Iwegbu and the people like him are the future of the country. His “happy survival” mentality, fueled by his faith in God, helps him through difficult times. He is thankful for his blessings. Even after tragedy, he has an impulse to carry on. He does so by employing his bike as a taxi and starting a palm wine business. Besides being the light of hope for his family, he also shares his philosophy of tragedy with his neighbors. He says, “Let it go where everything else goes. Nothing puzzles God” (88).

Maria Iwegbu is the wife of Jonathan Iwegbu and mother to four children; her youngest son died in the war. Like her husband, she is industrious and hard-working, a strong and loving mother, and a caring wife. After the war, she starts making Akara balls for neighbors to make money and help the family.