Tibor Donath
Tibor Donath is the average AVO man. Through this character, James shows the slow corruption of the average person into an AVO man. The anger he develops through life he takes out on prisoners and fellow guards.
Josef Toth
This character represents the average workman, who fell in line with the world of AVO. After joining a protest, he became part of the masses in revolt.
Istvan Balogh
He represented boys who were born in a family of laborers and easily rose in statis in the Communist system as intellectuals. Through his character, James M. showed how even intellectuals that owed much to the Communist system still questioned Communism on an intellectual level.
Peter Szigeti
Peter Szigeti is another character used to that those who were pampered by the Communist system rejected it. He was an intellectual who studied Communism and was rewarded with power and money. He decided that Communism was “bankrupt, cruel and a crime against Hungary.” He not only joined the revolution but help lead it.
Laszlo Rigo (or Csoki)
Csoki was a communist soldier. His character is used to show that even the average soldier revolted against the system. In the story, he and other soldiers quickly joined against the AVO.
Zoltan and Eva Pal
Following these characters, James M. shows us what the average young couple living in Budapest looks like. After barely making enough money to live on, they got wrapped up into the fighting, and became revolutionaries.
Gyorgy Szabo
He was a man from Csepel, and his character showed how men Csepel were wrapped up into this fight. Gyorgy Szabo worked toward a government without Russia.
