12-year-old son of Jacob and Martha. Obsessed with broadcast news about Patrice Lumumba and the Congo. Escapes into the forest, meeting Agnes and learning to breathe underwater. Experiences sexual confrontations with her while grappling with his mother's escalating religious delusions.
Jacob is Thomas's father within a dysfunctional household.
The plot explicitly describes Thomas as Jacob's twelve-year-old son.
Martha's religious condition shapes Thomas's emotional environment and escapism.
The plot identifies Martha as Thomas's mother and describes Thomas being disturbed by her divine premonitions.
Anton represents a danger to Thomas's refuge and movement through the forest.
Anton patrols the forest for trespassers, while Thomas repeatedly escapes into that forest.
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