The Man Without a Country characters

Appears from the start

A young United States Army officer drawn into Aaron Burr's schemes. During his trial he angrily declares that he never wants to hear of the United States again, prompting a sentence that turns his rash words into a lifelong exile at sea.

Appears from the start

The former vice president whose western political conspiracy attracts Nolan. His influence gives the isolated young officer a sense of importance and leads indirectly to Nolan's court-martial.

Appears from the start

The narrator, a naval officer who gathers memories of Nolan from his own service and from other sailors. His account traces how the meaning of Nolan's punishment changes over the decades.

Appears from the start

The senior officer presiding over Nolan's court-martial. Shocked by Nolan's rejection of his country, he imposes the extraordinary punishment that no one in Nolan's presence is ever to mention the United States.

Appears from the start

A woman who meets Nolan at a shipboard dance. When he asks her to speak of home, her brief reply makes him confront the emotional cost of the prohibition he once demanded.

Appears from the start

The naval captain attending Nolan during his final illness. He breaks the long silence surrounding national affairs and tells the dying exile how the country has changed during his absence.