The baby

The baby is the source of Han's antagonism toward his wife. Supposedly born prematurely, Han says that his wife was in fact pregnant when he married her and that the child is not his. The baby died when it choked at its mother's breasts. Han's wife says the baby's death was an accident; Han himself cannot be so certain.

Chinese stagehand

The Chinese stagehand seems closer to Han than anyone else in the story, perhaps because they are both Chinese and foreigners in Japan's tightly knit society. The stagehand has had the opportunity to watch Han closely; he observes that Han seems to be a Christian and that he and his wife are kind to other people though cruel to each other. He knows that Han has thought about a divorce but does not want one. The stagehand witnesses the incident and confesses to the judge that...