Richie Perry, the novel's protagonist, enlists in the army mainly to escape his problems "a bad relationship with his mother, a lack of opportunity in Harlem, and an uncertainty about his future. He finds himself in the middle of a war that is more confusing and traumatic than the life he fled. Richie's understanding of his part in the war is unknown to him. This shows that Richie is ambiguous about himself. He also says, "I hadn't been too worried about going to Nam. From what I had heard, the fighting was almost over any way."" This statement shows how credulous Richie can be. Later in the story he meats a guy named Jenkins. One night Richie and Jenkins go on night patrol with their squad. On their way back to the camp Jenkins steps on a land mine and is killed. Later Richie says "Seeing him lying there like that, his mouth and eyes open, had grabbed something inside my chest and twisted it hard."" Him saying this shows that he is sympathetic about others.
In "Fallen Angels-, I believe that there is one character that really makes the story more interesting and he is Harold Gates also known as Peewee. One can say that Peewee is flippant and humorous at the same time. For example, he keeps thinking that all the Vietnamese are Viet Cong. There was a Vietnamese girl cleaning when they were in Vietnam and Peewee told Perry that she was a Viet Cong. Perry didn't agree with him but Peewee still insisted that she was so he says, "Hey, you!- he sat up and called the Vietnamese woman. "Mama Cong!- He can also be very brave even when he doesn't have to be. For example, when they arrive at the base near Chu Lai Peewee, Perry, and Jenkins meet a strong black man named Johnson from Savannah, Georgia. Peewee mocks on Georgia and Johnson didn't like that. Johnson asks Peewee "Where you from?- Johnson was pissed at Peewee for dumping on Georgia. "Chicago- Peewee said. "Chicago ain't nothing.