Nick is a young World War I veteran returning to the woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula to camp and fish alone. Physically strong but emotionally muted, he uses the meticulous routines of wilderness survival to manage his internal turmoil and post-traumatic stress. He deliberately focuses on the immediate physical tasks of building a camp and fishing to keep painful memories from surfacing.

Hopkins is an old friend from Nick's past who previously went on a camping trip with him and Bill. He strikes oil and becomes wealthy, abruptly leaving his friends but passing on a specific method for making coffee that Nick still uses.

Bill is a friend from Nick's past who accompanied Nick and Hopkins on a camping trip years earlier. He exists in the story solely as a figure from a happier memory that Nick reflects on while settling into his camp.