Tom, the American Prisoner

Tom is the young, wounded American prisoner of war washed ashore below Sadao's house. He is largely passive in the narrative, a helpless figure at the mercy of others, yet his very helplessness is what triggers the moral drama. As he recovers he is grateful, cooperative and trusting, telling Sadao warmly, "if all the Japs were like you there wouldn't have been a war." His gradual return to health forces the crisis of what must be done with him, and his reluctance to leave the safety of the house shows how deeply he has come to trust the doctor. He functions less as a fully drawn individual …