Trudi Montag
Born a dwarf in a small German town, Trudi is the main character and protagonist of the novel. Her parents are her mother and father, Leon, who was a World War I veteran. Her mother was one of the first to introduce her to the discrimination she would face due to her physical appearance, but she dies when Trudi is just four years old.
As Trudi ages, she becomes a collector of knowledge for the town she lives in, even though she is rudely called a dwarf by most of the town's commoners. When World War II erupts, she comes to the large realization of the novel - anger isn't the way to handle things. She tries to use her influence on the town (although she is teased, she is well-known) to help fight the Nazi's, and allies with people who stand against them (like her father).
Leon Montag
Leon is Trudi's father, and owns a pay library in the German town. A veteran from World War I, he now tries to take care of his daughter the best that he can, even if that means fighting against the strong Nazi movement, which he does later in the novel. Near the end of the book, Leon passes away, and we see Trudi take over his library and expand it.
Trudi's Mother
Trudi's mother is one of the antagonists of the novel, because, when Trudi was born, she was horrified of her features. Until she was four years old, Trudi had to grow up with a mother who didn't really like her just because of the way she looked. It is stated that Trudi's mother has mental issues, which account for these actions, but do not necessarily justify them.
When Trudi is older, she tells herself that her mother died when she was only four years old because of her features. This is, in fact, not the case - Trudi's mother felt an extreme amount of guilt while having an affair with someone while Leon was fighting in the war, and this is what led her to her own demise.
Four Boys
In the novel, there is a group of four boys that sexually assault Trudi when she is still very young. They likely only did this because she was a dwarf, and they did not have much respect for her. Later, when the Nazi's are in power, Trudi realizes from this circumstance that anger is not the way to handle things - even though that is the way she's lived for quite some time.
Max
Max is not that important to the plot of the novel, but he is Trudi's boyfriend. He was killed in the bombing of Dresden, Germany.
The Nazis
When the Nazis have control over Germany, they don't truly have complete control. Trudi is always there, along with her father, to go against what they try to do when it is wrong. Although many of the townspeople went off to fight in the war siding with the Germans, they come back to realize that they had done the wrong thing.
