The first-person narrator of the poem is an adult who watches the monotonous activities of both the younger generation and their own peer group. They feel trapped within an emotionally distant relationship, comparing their existence to being stuck on an outspread map. Exhausted by these repetitive societal and interpersonal loops, they long to disrupt the status quo.

The intimate partner of the speaker, addressed as "you" throughout the poem. They maintain emotional distance through verbal tactics and solitary role-playing, such as the "orphan game." Having traced maps during childhood, they now scrutinize the speaker with a cold, analytical gaze that makes their partner feel pinned down and evaluated.

The youth observed by the adult narrator. They engage in traditional group activities that mimic historical conflicts, such as building sand moats and admiring old weapons in a museum. Their actions operate on a repetitive loop that ignores the natural environment around them, executing their movements with a studious intensity rather than happiness.