The narrator
The narrator (and protagonist) is a student at a New Zealand village school, and she has a group of close friends with whom they play and explore the neighborhood together. The reader realizes that the narrator does not talk much about herself, but she describes those around her and the environment where she lives.
The narrator’s parents expect her to observe societal rules, especially obeying elders. The children feel that they are categorized as animals, requiring adults' guidance to operate around. The narrator is not happy to be equated to animals, but she has no choice but to follow orders. One day, together with her friends, the narrator decides to disobey her parents and goes to the reservoir.
The narrator’s mother
The narrator's mother is restrictive parent. For instance, the narrator's mother warns her children that the reservoir is dangerous despite having clean water. Therefore, the narrator's mother forbids her from going closer to the reservoir because it is dangerous. However, the narrator's curiosity increases, and she schemes how she will get an opportunity to explore the danger herself. According to the narrator's mother, in the past, children drowned in the reservoir, which is the primary reason she does not want her children to go there.
The children
The children are the narrator's close-knit friends who study in the same village and usually play together and engage in other escapades. The author depicts these children as one entity because they think similarly, and they agree uniformly whenever they decide to do something. One of the things these children love is playing and exploring the creek. However, their parents caution them never to get closer to the reservoir. Ironically, one day they disobey their parents and visit the reservoir.
The narrator’s father
The narrator's father is less strict compared to the mother. He is against the narrator going to the reservoir, but he does not enforce the law. According to the narrator, her father is bossy and, most of the time, minds his business. The reader also realizes that the narrator's father takes a lesser role in the book because he is not as widely mentioned as the mother is.
The parents of the other children
The parents of the other children are minor characters, but also play a similar role in restricting their children from going to the reservoir. These parents also remind their children always to respect older people.
