The Speaker is an immigrant who has fled violence to settle in a Western country. They struggle with the trauma of leaving their home, experiencing a tension between honoring their past and assimilating into a new society. Believing they must protect themselves and their future grandchildren from the horrors they survived, they advocate for silencing painful memories. Despite these efforts, they find themselves continually drawn back to the sensory details of the home they lost.

The Old Friends are individuals from the Speaker's native country who died during the unrest. They represent the severe human cost of the conflict and the painful losses the immigrants endured. The Speaker refuses to name them aloud, realizing that vocalizing their identities will not reverse their deaths.

The New Friends are the residents of the adopted country whom the Speaker interacts with daily. They live in a modern world of gates, bridges, and stores, completely far removed from the violence of the Speaker's origins. They occasionally express curiosity about the Speaker's background, asking to hear stories about the old country.

The Stolen Men are victims of the civil unrest that forced the Speaker to emigrate. Their sudden disappearance shatters the otherwise pleasant memories of the homeland. They represent the terrifying reality that drove the immigrants to abandon their lives and seek safety elsewhere.