The primary setting of the Revival is critical to Hughes' work.  The staging of it, the elevated platform where all the children who took the name of the Lord in order to be "saved," as well as the crowd and their expressions are all vital to the development of the story.  The narrator is probably the most critical character, as we understand more of his own sense of spirituality and the perception of the world, in the process. Along with this would be the boy's friend, who lied to pretend to be saved. The aunt and uncle with whom he is staying also possess a level of importance as they are the ones who bring to light the idea that the boy is crying because "he was saved," when in reality, his cries are only because his worst fear of a lack of a structure has now become realized.