Nico (Bram Cohen)

Nico is in hiding because he is a Jew in Nazi territory. Before the war and the rise of the Nazis, Nico was a perfume salesman named Bram Cohen. For Nico, captivity and hiding are particularly difficult because he has always preferred the outdoors and socializing. Now he must pass the time alone, and he watches the seasons pass through his window. Nico passes the time by playing chess against himself, but he finds the days long and dull. Sometimes he finds that he has to force himself not to go downstairs to the main level, and that internal battle is how he passes the afternoon.

When he feels especially down, Nico will come downstairs to eat supper but will say little. When Marie and Wim get a vase, Nico finds that his feelings for the vase begin to twist. Although Wim and Marie love their little piece of luxury, Nico begins to see it as a symbol that he hates, and he even feels that he hates the owners of the terrible symbol. He wishes he could walk outside more, but then he considers what would happen if he were caught: he would be taken away and questioned, and he finds that it would be cowardly and treacherous to turn in Wim and Marie. He feels a wave of emotion for his hosts.

Nico is in hiding because he is a Jew. However, he is not particularly devout. When Wim and Marie ask Nico why he never converted or left the country, his response at first confuses them. Nico explains that he has considered converting or denying his heritage many times. He decided not to when he thought about what his father would say.

During his time in captivity, Nico does his best to not be a bother. Although there are a few mishaps that put Nico and the family at risk, he is always a good guest. Nico finds it frustrating to always defer, to hide, and to repress his urges to go out or downstairs, but he usually keeps that frustration within. Ironically, when Nico dies of pneumonia, he becomes a greater risk than ever before.

Marie

Marie is a caring woman and a dutiful wife. She is very sensitive to the two men with whom she is living, and she often keeps her thoughts to herself rather than interrupting them when they come to agreements or decisions. Marie recognizes that her husband may feel uncomfortable being in charge of a man who is his elder, so she does her best to accommodate his needs. However, Wim spends his days working in a factory, so Marie ends up working out how to spend most of the day with Nico. Again, Marie is quite perceptive and she feels that Nico will always be hungry before meals because he has little to do with his time except look forward to dinner. However, in spite of this, they know very little about each other. When Nico passes away, Marie begins to consider all of the ways that the stranger they hid remained a stranger. When Marie and Wim go into hiding, Marie finds it especially difficult to be in captivity.

Wim

Wim is characterized as a calm, patient husband who always seeks to take care of his wife. When Marie worries that they will be caught, Wim tries to be sensitive to her needs. For example, when Wim and Marie are in hiding at the end of the novel, Wim represses his annoyance that Marie is unable to pass the time calmly and instead tries to reassure...