Although the book has many characters, Tien Pao is the most important one.

A very real boy, Tien Pao plays games to amuse himself, talks to his pets, and proves resourceful and determined and perhaps a little bit selfish. One of his strongest traits is his unwillingness to give up, even when he is starving and alone. His constant companion is his pig, Glory-of-the-Republic, which he names to make it seem more human.

Taking responsibility for his pig helps Tien Pao not to dwell too much on his own fears.

Other characters remain in the background. DeJong tells little about Tien Pao's mother and father, for example, except that they are like other parents who must work in order to feed their families and that they become angry when their children do not obey them.

The American airman, Lieutenant Hamsun, plays a major role...