Milkweed

Uri is Misha’s friend and guardian for most of the novel. Uri is initially described as an older and taller boy with red hair. He is the de facto leader of the group of orphan boys. He helps the others navigate the streets of Warsaw and he teaches Misha how to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. Uri says numerous times in the novel that, with his red hair, no one would guess that he is a Jew. This is vital when Misha later finds Uri working at a Jackboot haunt, the Blue Camel Hotel. While Misha is often impulsive and childish, Uri is anything but.

Uri’s every action speaks to his dedication to caring for those who are helpless. Uri has a younger brother but Uri suspects that he is dead. From stealing food for Doctor Korczak’s orphans, to taking care of Misha, to aiding the revolt against the Jackboots, Uri is careful in his quest to bring down the Nazis. Near the conclusion of the novel, Uri saves Misha’s life by shooting off Misha’s ear and convincing other Jackboots that he is dead. Though Uri’s fate is unknown, Misha does discover that the revolt against the Jackboots was eventually squashed and its participants sent to concentration camps. The lasting image of Uri in Misha’s mind is of the older boy rebelling against the Jackboots, “invisible no more” (154).

Janina is a 6-year-old girl at the beginning of the novel. She is prone to tantrums and is used to getting her way. Janina has a difficult time adjusting to life in the ghetto, a part of her believing that she cannot be hurt because she is just “a little girl” (66). Janina’s childishness and naivety frequently threaten to get her and Misha caught by Jackboots on their nighttime smuggling runs. While Janina is hot-headed and stubborn, she is also kind and generous. Janina cares endlessly for her father, mother, and Misha.

As Janina begins to lose hope in the ghetto, she clings to the idea the trains will bring them all to the “candy mountain” (119). Janina’s fate is unknown, but she is thrown into the boxcar of a train and presumably sent to a concentration camp. At the conclusion of the novel, Misha names his granddaughter Janina. Despite this, Misha is still unable to speak about Janina to his wife or his daughter.

Mr. Milgrom is Janina’s biological father and Misha’s adoptive father. Mr. Milgrom is a pharmacist and continues to give people medicine in the ghetto, even when people can’t pay him. Mr. Milgrom is kind to Misha even before they are all forced into the ghetto and is the first to welcome the young boy into the family. Mr. Milgrom continues to practice Jewish traditions and tries his best to maintain hope and a sense of normalcy. He encourages the family to celebrate Hanukkah the best that they can and tries to give Mrs. Milgrom a proper burial upon her death. Near the conclusion of the novel, Mr. Milgrom encourages Misha and Janina to leave the ghetto; he is simultaneously angry and relieved when they continue to return back to the room. One night, Mr. Milgrom is sent to the trains while Misha and Janina are out stealing food. 

Mrs. Milgrom is Janina’s mother. Her health deteriorates quickly upon arriving to the ghetto. Mrs. Milgrom refuses to move from where she is curled up on the mattress, back turned to face the room, merely staring at the wall. It is implied that Mrs. Milgrom refuses to eat and thus dies from starvation/malnutrition. She loses all hope upon entering the ghetto, saying, “I was a human being once” (61). While Mr. Milgrom extends their home to Misha, Mrs. Milgrom does not claim Misha as her own. Mrs. Milgrom dies in the room and is buried by Mr. Milgrom, Janina, and Misha.

Uncle Shepsel is Janina’s uncle. Janina and Misha always say that he looks like a chicken. Uncle Shepsel’s desire to survive erodes his empathy for others. In one instance, Shepsel fights with Janina for a cooked rat. Most notably, Uncle Shepsel begins reading and converting to Lutheranism because he believes it will save him from being treated like a Jew. Uncle Shepsel tries to convert other Jews to Lutheranism as well. Near the conclusion of the novel, Uncle Shepsel is taken to the trains and his book on Lutheranism is left behind.  

Kuba is one of the boys who welcomes Misha into the group of orphans. Initially, he gives Misha a hard time by blowing smoke in his face. Kuba is described as a “clown,” but runs out of jokes when Olek is found dead (40). Kuba helps smuggle food when the boys are in the ghetto. 

Olek is a boy with one arm who is part of Misha’s group of friends. Olek loses his arm to a train. Despite his own misfortune, Olek continues to believe that angels exist to protect people. Misha and Janina find Olek hanging from a lamp post with a sign reading “I was a smuggler” on his chest. Olek’s death greatly affect Misha, Uri, Kuba, and the rest of the boys.

Enos is described as a “grim-faced” boy (40). He frequently expresses his disbelief in things, including angels, mothers, and oranges. Enos disappears toward the end of Misha’s time in the Warsaw ghetto.

Big Henryk is described as a large boy who prefers to wear bank bags over his feet rather than shoes. It is implied that Big Henryk has a mental disability. As the boys begin to disappear one by one, Big Henryk is left alone and is last seen following after the piper. 

Jon is nondescript and Misha sees him as “gray” and “unspeaking” (64). Misha believes that he is sick. Jon is the first of the boys to die in the ghetto. Misha and the boys find him on the street beneath a sheet of newspaper. The boys watch men collect his body and put it in the back of a cart.

Doctor Korczak is a kindly physician who cares for the children in his orphanage. He is grateful to both Misha and Uri for frequently bringing them food. Doctor Korczak is based on a real historical figure who cared for orphans during the Holocaust. 

Himmler is a Jackboot who is responsible for the ghetto and the Jewish people who live in it. When Misha sees him and how nondescript and ordinary he appears, Misha no longer wants to become a Jackboot.

Buffo is a Flop who kills children by smothering them against his fat belly. He chews mint leaves and the scent becomes a warning for children in the ghetto. Misha and Janina frequently taunt Buffo. When Misha returns to Warsaw after the war, he sees an emaciated Buffo who does not interact with Misha no matter how much the boy goads him. 

Elzbieta is the farmer’s wife who helps clean and care for Misha’s wounds after he is shot by Uri. She convinces Misha to stay and work on the farm instead of going to the concentration camps. It is implied that when the war ends, the farmer is reluctant to let Misha leave. Elzbieta sneaks into the barn that night, gives Misha bread, and tells him to run away.

Vivian is Misha’s wife for five months. She enjoys his stories and would initially sit with Misha while he spoke on street corners. While Vivian enjoys Misha’s stories, his many scars from the war ultimately make her leave. Vivian is pregnant when she leaves him. 

Katherine is Misha’s daughter. She is 25 years old and described as having “dark brown hair” (160). She has been looking for Misha for a long time and lets him name her daughter after Janina. Katherine invites Misha to live with her. She does not ask him many questions, but she knows all of his stories. Katherine asks Misha if he will ever tell her story behind Janina’s name and he tells her that he will someday.