Sergeant Nathan Marx, the narrator and protagonist of the short story, is originally from New York, and he now finds himself at Camp Crowder in Missouri after his combat experiences in Germany. The reader learns he is Jewish just as other characters in the story learn this detail, but it is unclear to both the reader and the other characters what being Jewish means to Marx. Buried underneath Marx’s toughened exterior—of a soldier who has seen and absorbed many horrors of war—is a kind man. Marx credits his grandmother with this tender side of his personality, a woman whose emotional sensitivity contrasts with the harsh tendencies of Marx’s mother. Marx is a reflective man capable of great empathy, committed to doing his duty but also cognizant of the situations of others. This compassionate side to his nature renders him vulnerable to the scheming of self-preservationist Private Sheldon Grossbart.

A brusque, aggressive caricature of a military man, Captain Barrett holds a leadership role at the military base. He admires the personal qualities of bravery and competence, and his manner of speaking is direct. Captain Barrett has little patience for cultural nuances as evidenced by his impatience with Grossbart’s requests for special treatment and his quick adoption of cultural stereotypes that portray Jewish people in a negative light.