The Man in the High Castle Character Analysis

Robert Childan

Robert Childan, one of the book’s protagonists, owns the well-respected antique store American Artistic Handcrafts Inc. A white man in a Japanese-led society, Childan constantly feels that he is disrespected and disadvantaged. In the beginning… read analysis of Robert Childan

Nobusuke Tagomi

Nobusuke Tagomi is a mild-mannered bureaucrat who works in the Pacific States of America as a trade representative for the Japanese government. For much of the novel, he is concerned with orchestrating a meeting with… read analysis of Nobusuke Tagomi

Juliana Frink

As every man who encounters her immediately realizes, Juliana Frink is beautiful. Though has she been with many men—including ex-husband Frank Frink—Juliana struggles with what she calls a “neurotic fear of the masculine.” Perhaps… read analysis of Juliana Frink

Frank Frink

Born Frank Fink, Frank is secretly Jewish (if not particularly religious). Though he grew up on the east coast, Frank fought in the Pacific States in World War II, and he remained there after the… read analysis of Frank Frink

Mr. Baynes/Rudolf Wegener

Rudolf Wegener is a member of the German dissident Abwehr faction, which hopes to slow Nazi world takeover by preventing Operation Dandelion from occurring. Wegener is secretly Jewish, and this informs some of his anti-Nazi… read analysis of Mr. Baynes/Rudolf Wegener

Joe Cinnadella

Though he initially poses as a disgruntled Italian truck driver passing through Cannon City, Colorado, Joe is in fact a Swiss Nazi, renowned for his tactical expertise. He is on a mission to assassinate Hawthorne… read analysis of Joe Cinnadella

Hawthorne Abendsen

Hawthorne Abendsen, the best-selling author of the speculative novel The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, is the “man in the high castle” of the book’s title. For years after he wrote his controversial book, he lived… read analysis of Hawthorne Abendsen

Caroline Abendsen

The pretty, protective wife of Hawthorne Abendsen, Caroline is Juliana’s primary point of contact for her visit. She is a little resentful of Juliana (whom Hawthorne is clearly attracted to), but she is… read analysis of Caroline Abendsen

Paul Kasoura

Paul is a young, graceful, successful Japanese bureaucrat who is married to Betty. Paul is highly educated—he reads and listens to a vast variety of music—and is fascinated by U.S. culture from before the… read analysis of Paul Kasoura

Betty Kasoura

The beautiful, elegant wife of Paul Kasoura (whom Childan often lusts after), Betty displays cultural adeptness with both Japanese and American traditions. She is particularly interested in “authentic” American cooking, which frustrates Childan (who sees… read analysis of Betty Kasoura

Ed McCarthy

A man of few words, Ed McCarthy was Frank’s supervisor at Wyndham-Matson’s factory—until Frank was fired and Ed left to go into business with him. Ed is a skilled and precise craftsman, and… read analysis of Ed McCarthy

Mr. Wyndham-Matson

Though his sad-sack appearance might suggest otherwise, Wyndham-Matson—the owner of the factory where Frank Frink and Ed McCarthy worked—is one of the most powerful white Americans in the Pacific States of America. He has prominent… read analysis of Mr. Wyndham-Matson

Mr. Yatabe/General Tedeki

“Mr. Yatabe,” allegedly an “elderly retired businessman,” is the alias that General Tedeki uses to travel to the Pacific States without arousing Nazi suspicion. Tedeki is actually a valiant military man and high-ranking Japanese official… read analysis of Mr. Yatabe/General Tedeki

Hugo Reiss

As the head of the German consulate in the Pacific States of America, Reiss fancies himself the highest-ranking Nazi on the west coast. However, he often finds his authority undermined by the various other bureaucrats… read analysis of Hugo Reiss

Kreuz vom Meere

Vom Meere is the head of Nazi intelligence in the Pacific States of America; he is a prominent (and dangerous) man. Throughout the book, vom Meere is focused on capturing Baynes before he can meet… read analysis of Kreuz vom Meere

Chancellor Bormann

The Nazi who took over as Chancellor after Hitler was incapacitated, Bormann is succumbing to illness. His death early on in The Man in the High Castle throws the entire world into disarray, as various… read analysis of Chancellor Bormann

J. Goebbels

Goebbels has gone down in history for his frighteningly effective work as the head of Nazi propaganda; he is known as the “sole intellectual” of the party. The novel imagines that Goebbels is among the… read analysis of J. Goebbels

R. Heydrich

Another one of the Nazis hoping to become Chancellor, Heydrich is young, violent and curiously un-ideological. Having come up through the paramilitary SS organization, Heydrich is one of the most feared Nazis. However, because he… read analysis of R. Heydrich

Hermann Goring

Also known as ‘the Fat One,’ Goring is famous (in both reality and the novel) for his power-hungry excessiveness; he often styles himself as a kind of Roman emperor. Having founded the Gestapo (the Nazi… read analysis of Hermann Goring

Doctor Seyss-Inquart

Historically, Seyss-Inquart held a variety of important positions in Hitler’s government. In the novel, Seyss-Inquart is “the most hated man in Reich territory,” with a single-minded focus on exterminating Jews that makes him the Nazi… read analysis of Doctor Seyss-Inquart

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd president of the United States. In The Man in the High Castle, the real-life attempt on Roosevelt’s life by assassin Giuseppe Zangara was successful (in actuality, Zangara missed his target). Without Roosevelt… read analysis of Franklin D. Roosevelt

Rex Tugwell

In reality, Tugwell was an economist who spearheaded many of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s most beloved New Deal policies. In The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, Tugwell becomes the U.S. President after Roosevelt. The novel-within-a-novel depicts… read analysis of Rex Tugwell

Winston Churchill

In reality, Churchill was a brilliant military strategist and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for most of World War II (1940-1945). In The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, Churchill successfully leads the U.K. to… read analysis of Winston Churchill

Alex Lotze

Lotze is a German artist whose artistic style is informed by the political ideology of Fascism. He meets Baynes on a rocket and—to Baynes’ horror—tries to bond over their racial “close[ness].” Lotze embodies the “psychotic… read analysis of Alex Lotze

Minor Characters

Baldur von Schirach

Another one of the high-ranking Nazis hoping to take over the party, von Schirach is a “handsome idealist” known for trying to moderate some of the Reich’s most horrific violence. Though the Japanese would ideally see von Schirach in power, it is unlikely that he will actually take control.

Ray Calvin

Ray Calvin is an antiques wholesaler who often deals to Childan. In collaboration with Wyndham-Matson, Calvin knowingly sells fake guns (including Colt .44s) to unwitting antiques dealers.

Mr. Ramsey

Mr. Ramsey is Tagomi’s assistant, whom Tagomi often relies on to navigate issues of white American culture.

Rita

Rita is Wyndham-Matson’s young mistress, an avid fan of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy.

Miss Ephreikian

Miss Ephreikian is Tagomi’s secretary.