Butcher himself
The author of this book is the protagonist of these adventures through the Congo. Inspired by Henry Morton Stanley, Tim Butcher began taking lengthy trips across the Congo. The trips are very dangerous and Butcher is tested time and time again by nature. He writes about the epic majesty of nature but is also clearly fearful for his own survival. He could die from the many threats of African wildlife, or from the brutal wars that are unfolding in that region.
Katharine Hepburn
When Butcher decides to cross one of Africa's most unsafe regions, he takes for him a companion in Katharine Hepburn, specifically in her diaries which she composed during the filming of The African Queen. Her commentary is juxtaposed to his own as a sort of conversation, and the effect is quite charming. That diary also isolates the unexpected challenges of life in that region, including a genuine fear for survival due to natural threats.
