Kim

Kim is a Consumer, chosen through a global lottery to consume the toxic donut—a highly concentrated pastry made from all of humanity's toxic pollution and waste from the previous year. This sacrificial event is scheduled to occur at an annual awards show, which will be broadcast live that evening. In the narrative, Ron, the show's administrative assistant, guides Kim through the rehearsal process. As Ron explains the show's format, the reader learns that, unlike in previous years, this year's lottery was not voluntary. Throughout the story, Bisson does not disclose why Kim is participating. This mystery is heightened by the fact that only Ron’s dialogue is presented—Kim's words are not directly shared.

Although Kim's exact words are never heard, her side of the conversation can be inferred through Ron—who often repeats her statements and questions, providing responses that suggest what Kim might be saying. By analyzing Ron’s replies to Kim, the reader gains insight into Kim’s background and experience. Ron is surprised to discover that Kim speaks English, considering her unspecified country of origin. However, since he mentions that the country was once under British rule, Kim is likely from a region formerly colonized by England or the United States. Kim was unwillingly selected for the lottery because someone else purchased a ticket for her. Throughout the story, Kim expresses doubts about participating in the show, but the reason for her hesitance is not revealed until the rehearsal's conclusion, which is also the story's end. At this point, both Kim and the reader understand that she is meant to sacrifice her life by consuming the toxic donut.

Ron

Ron serves as the Chief Administrative Assistant to Mr. Crystal, the host of the annual television show where Kim, a Consumer, is set to sacrifice her life to save the environment by eating the toxic donut. Ron is the sole speaker in the story, though his responses to Kim provide clues about what she might be saying. Throughout the narrative, Ron guides Kim—and the reader—through the rehearsal for the half-hour television program. From the outset, Ron is all business, offering Kim a detailed schedule and hurrying her through each segment of the rehearsal. Ron is focused solely on completing the rehearsal, quickly dismissing Kim’s questions and concerns, which he often misinterprets as jokes. Because of this, and because he assumes everyone is familiar with the show, Ron attributes Kim’s lack of knowledge about the sacrifice to her sense of humor.

Ron prioritizes the show above Kim's sacrifice to such an extent that he can't even assure her a meeting with Mr. Crystal before it begins. For Ron, everything revolves around keeping the show's schedule and public image intact, leaving him indifferent to the actual content of the yearly broadcast. Consequently, as he guides Kim through the rehearsal, he cannot provide her with specific information about various aspects of the show, like the lighting setup or how scientists manage to compress all of the world's waste into a small donut. His indifferent attitude also affects his treatment of Kim, as he remains emotionally distant and cold, skimming over potentially distressing topics, including the expectation that Kim will sacrifice herself at the show's conclusion.