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Harry
A writer and World War I veteran who is slowly dying from gangrene while on a safari in Africa. As his illness progresses, Harry realizes that he has squandered his creative abilities and failed to write the stories most important to him. Much of the story revolves around Harry reflecting on his complex and often traumatic past, and regretting the choices that led him to his current circumstances.
Read an in-depth analysis of Harry.
Helen
Harry’s current wife, a wealthy woman. Helen’s first husband and one of her adult children have died. In return for Harry’s companionship, which helps her cope with her grief, she subsidizes their luxurious and adventurous lifestyle. She loves Harry but does not seem to know or understand him intimately.
Read an in-depth analysis of Helen.
Compton
The mysterious pilot of the rescue plane. When the rescue plane first lands, and Harry recognizes Compton, it seems that the two must have met earlier in Kenya before Harry embarked on his safari. However, as it becomes clear that the plane is not real, and that Harry is being flown into death, Compton’s identity—and Harry’s relationship with him—is thrown into question. It’s possible that Compton is a memory, a former friend or mentor of Harry’s from his youth, or perhaps a fallen fellow soldier. Regardless, Compton’s identity is never explained. Rather, he operates only as a spiritual guide, transporting Harry from life to death.
Williamson
A bombing officer in Harry’s regime. Harry remembers Williamson as a brave soldier and a competent leader. Williamson is struck by a bomb, which rips open his stomach and exposes his intestines. The pain is so intense that he begs his fellow soldiers to kill him. Rather than passing out from the pain, Williamson somehow remains conscious and in excruciating agony. Harry gives him his own supply of morphine, which he had been saving for himself in case of injury. This gift represents one of Harry’s most moral and self-sacrificial moments, in which he chooses to help others over his own comfort.
Molo
Harry and Helen’s personal attendant on the safari. He dresses Harry’s wounds, serves their meals, and prepares their living spaces. While there seem to be several employees in the safari group, Molo is the only one who is named. The employees are said to be Kikuyu, which is a West African ethnic tribe most commonly found in Kenya.
Julian
A stand-in for Hemingway’s real-life friend, the famous writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Julian believes that wealthy people’s money is a physical mark of their specialness, and that they are almost a different “race” of humans than middle or working-class people. He is disappointed when he discovers that this is not the case, and that there is no remarkable difference between the souls of the wealthy and the poor. Julian stands in contrast to Harry, who is more creatively inspired when living and interacting with working-class people than the upper echelons.
