"Anton" - Josef Anton Starzmann/Brother Nazarius

Josef Anton Starzmann - or simply Anton - is the main protagonist of the novel, and the story is told from his third person perspective. Anton is the brother of Anita, the husband of Elisabeth, and the eventual father of Al, Paul, and Maria. He also works for Father Emil as both an organist and a message carrier. Anton sometimes refers or thinks to himself as Brother Nazarius, especially in the beginning of the novel, as he has recently been forced out of his parish and forced to abandon his habit by the Nazis. Anton is tall and lanky, “with the blondest of hair and bluest eyes the Fuhrer could desire” (19). He carries a pocket watch his father gave him, and is an avid carver. He often smokes his pipe as a way to think and get some time alone. He also...