Abram Makaoliej serves as a mentor and catalyst for the protagonist, Sorry. A worldly and charismatic figure, Abram returns to Bikini after years at sea, bringing with him a more experienced and critical understanding of the outside world that the isolated islanders lack. His experiences have taught him to be wary of the motives of powerful nations, a perspective he articulates in his warning that “The Americans can give us candy and cigarettes but take away the land” (69). He is immediately established as a foil to the compliant Chief Juda, refusing to sit during Commodore Wyatt’s address and openly challenging the governor’s use of persuasive religious rhetoric to justify relocation. Abram’s character represents a vocal and uncompromising form of resistance rooted in experience, and his attempts to awaken the other villagers to the danger they face drive the central conflict.

Abram’s motivations are deeply tied to his love for his home and his understanding of what is at stake. His resistance emerges from this awareness and is reflected in his consistent questioning of the assurances given by American officials. His plan to sail the red canoe into the atomic test site is a visible act of individual protest against a force he cannot control. It is an act designed to attract the attention of the world’s press and expose the injustice being done to his people. In addition to his role in resistance, Abram’s actions in other situations contribute to his characterization. His decision to spare the tiger shark that once mauled him shows that he chooses not to seek revenge despite his earlier injury. His undisclosed heart condition adds a tragic urgency to his mission, and his death transfers the responsibility of his protest to Sorry, ensuring that his challenge to the Americans’ authority continues beyond his lifetime.

Tara Malolo, the island’s schoolteacher, functions as a mentor within the community and contributes a perspective shaped by formal education. Born on a nearby atoll and educated at a missionary college, she occupies a position that connects traditional Bikinian life with forms of knowledge introduced through missionary education. This unique position allows her to understand both the values of her people and the nature of the threat posed by the Americans. She is principled and consistently advocates for the Bikinians’ rights through reasoned argument and clear communication. Tara attempts to hold the American officials accountable, demanding Lieutenant Hastings provide a written guarantee of their return, an act that demonstrates her understanding of formal agreements, and highlights a contrast with Chief Juda’s reliance on verbal assurances. She supports Abram’s defiance from the beginning, recognizing the truth in his warnings and using her position to validate his arguments.

Throughout the crisis, Tara remains actively involved in supporting the community, continuing to teach the children, and offering emotional support. Her relationship with Abram adds a personal dimension to the broader conflict. While she initially views Sorry’s plan to sail the red canoe as dangerous, her eventual decision to join him is a powerful testament to her principles. Her participation unites the wisdom of modern education with Sorry’s inherited courage and Jonjen’s faith, bringing different forms of knowledge and belief into a shared act. In the end, she recognizes that protest, even if it seems unlikely to change the outcome, is a necessary act. Her presence in the canoe symbolizes her commitment to acting in accordance with what she understands, based on both knowledge and experience.

Jonjen, Sorry’s grandfather, is the village’s spiritual elder and a living link to its history and traditions. He is closely associated with the community’s faith, oral traditions, and ways of interpreting the natural world. His knowledge is rooted in the natural and spiritual realms. He interprets the moaning albatross as an omen and is the keeper of the island’s oral histories, from ancient warrior tales to the proper way to pray over the amazing coconut. His faith is central to his character; he carries his Marshallese Bible everywhere and leads the village in worship, grounding the community in a spiritual framework that provides comfort and meaning.

Although Jonjen is less outwardly confrontational than Abram, he demonstrates moral conviction through his actions. During Commodore Wyatt’s speech, he joins Abram and Sorry in standing, an act that signals disagreement without direct confrontation. His opposition to the bomb is articulated in simple, absolute terms: “I am against this atom bomb. It kills people and I am against any killing” (95). This statement reflects a worldview where morality is not complicated by political expediency. Jonjen’s decision to accompany Sorry and Tara in the red canoe marks his participation in the act of protest. It signifies that his faith and beliefs remain present within this action. His role in the canoe is to pray, reflecting the importance of spiritual practice within the community’s response to the situation.

Chief Juda serves as a foil to the resistant characters of Abram and Sorry, representing the consequences of leadership that relies on accommodation when faced with colonial power. He is characterized by his mild and giving nature. While these traits make him a kindly leader in times of peace, they limit his ability to respond to the pressures created by the US military’s presence. Juda consistently defers to American authority, urging Abram to be quiet during the meeting with Commodore Wyatt and accepting the governor’s use of religious rhetoric to justify relocation. His passivity is further highlighted by his fear of the paramount chief, Jeimata, who orders him to comply with the Americans’ demands.

Juda’s defining flaw is his misplaced trust. He earnestly believes the Americans’ promise that the relocation is temporary and for the “benefit to all mankind” (96), without recognizing the longer-term consequences of this decision. His character aligns with the theme of The Illusion of Benevolent Colonial Rule, illustrating how powerful nations can achieve their aims by appealing to the trust of local leaders. Juda is presented as a man overwhelmed by circumstances, he does not fully understand, making him a figure shaped by the pressures of the situation. His failure to protect his people draws attention to the contrasting responses shown by Abram and, later, Sorry.

Ruta Rinamu, Sorry’s mother, plays a central role within the family and reflects the emotional responses present in the community. Her initial reactions are driven by a desire for safety and peace. She urges Abram to be silent during his confrontation with the American officials and advises Sorry against dangerous activities like shark hunting. She represents a preference for maintaining harmony and avoiding conflict within the community. As the situation develops, her perspective changes in response to the community’s displacement and the Americans’ actions. Witnessing the Americans’ deception and the loss of their home hardens her resolve. By the end of the novel, her fear is accompanied by a sense of pride in Sorry’s decision to take part in the act of protest. This development reflects broader changes within the community’s understanding of their situation.

Lokileni, Sorry’s younger sister, represents the vulnerability of children within the community as events unfold. Early in the novel, her vulnerability to the Japanese soldiers establishes the real-world dangers facing the community. Her perspective is that of a child trying to comprehend catastrophic events that are beyond her understanding. Her most significant action is leaving her doll, Leilang, behind on the island. This act is a symbolic gesture that reflects her attachment to home and her expectation of returning. The doll can be understood as representing aspects of childhood and familiarity that are left behind as the community is forced to leave the island.

Grandmother Yolo is associated with pre-Christian spiritual practices within the community and reflects the islanders’ connection to the natural world through these beliefs. She is nearly silent, communicating primarily through her interpretations of omens, such as the warnings from the tournefortia tree. Her worldview represents a way of knowing that is based on spiritual interpretation and observation of the natural environment, which differs from the scientific framework used by the Americans. Yolo’s belief in the evil spirit Libokra on Rongerik foreshadows the real, not supernatural, hardships the islanders will face there. Her decision to walk into the ocean rather than leave Bikini is a powerful symbolic act. It signifies that her connection to the island is inseparable from her sense of belonging, and that leaving it is something she does not accept.

Leje Ijjirik functions as a character who opposes the views of Abram and Sorry within the Bikinian community, acting as a foil to them. He represents a position that favors cooperation with the Americans in expectation of material benefit, openly challenging those who advocate for resistance. Leje is convinced that cooperating with the Americans will bring financial reward and that they will be well cared for, dismissing Abram’s warnings by calling him “insane” (104). His resentment of Sorry’s position on the council and his constant contrarian attitude highlight the internal fractures that appear in the community under the pressure of the American occupation. Leje’s character demonstrates that the threat to the Bikinians extends beyond external forces, as it also involves differing responses within the community regarding how to respond to the situation.