Francis Cassavant
Francis is the protagonist of the novel and is a war veteran. He is haunted by events of his childhood and suffers from severe facial deformities as a result of his injuries. He is driven by revenge, guilt and trauma from his experience of World War II.
Nicole Renard
Francis' childhood crush and friend, who is described as being a great dancer. She is later raped by Larry LaSalle and struggles with this trauma into adulthood. She feels betrayed by Francis as he witnessed the attack and didn't help.
Larry LeSalle
Larry is Francis' childhood idol, who opened the "Wreck Centre" for the children of Frenchtown. He improves Francis' self-esteem dramatically by coaching him for the ping-pong championship. After Larry returns from war he rapes Nicole, which haunts Francis throughout the text and makes him contemplate suicide.
Arthur Rivier
Arthur is a veteran of Frenchtown, like Francis. He recognizes Francis despite his attempts to remain anonymous. Later, he is found drunk in an alleyway and talks about his trauma following the war.
Joey LeBlanc
Francis Cassavant's childhood friend. He is present in Francis' flashbacks, and is described as having a "big mouth."
