All My Good Countrymen

An aging village organist and custodian of the prewar cultural order. He becomes one of the four villagers to convert to the new regime, illustrating the pressure to adapt. Facing death threats, he retreats with his wife, a choice that haunts him and tests his faith in the community. He returns in the epilogue, weighing the costs of loyalty and the village’s future.

A noble, steadfast farmer who embodies the village’s dignity and resistance to collectivization. He opposes the regime’s loans and becomes a rallying figure for others to push back against confiscation. Arrested in 1949, he endures illness but maintains moral leadership; by 1957–1958 he stands firm even as the political structure tightens its grip. His arc culminates in iconic lines about listening to the workers as the village confronts upheaval.

A photographer whose craft captures village life and its changing face under pressure. He is one of the four who convert to the collective, reflecting the draw of status and security. His wife pushes for improved residence and position, illustrating personal stakes within the political shift. He dies of a heart attack in the Epilogue, symbolizing the fragility of art and memory under totalitarian rule.

The postman who becomes part of the conversion to the collective. His fate—being shot in 1949—highlights the regime’s willingness to eliminate dissent. His relationship with his fiancée Machačová adds a personal dimension to the political upheaval. His death serves as a grim reminder of the cost of political realignment for ordinary villagers.

A villager who aligns with the new order, illustrating the social pressure to conform during the collectivization drive. His choices reveal how individuals navigate loyalty, fear, and the allure of security under an increasingly controlling regime. His role underscores the communal complicity and the personal costs of political realignment.

A town thief who becomes entangled in the regime’s demands and eventual betrayals. He is summoned to prison, participates in the shifting social order, and dies after a fateful moment involving acid and a compromised moral path. His arc embodies the dangers faced by those on the fringes of the village’s new social contract.

The merry widow who appears at social gatherings, illustrating how personal ambition intertwines with political change. Her presence at dances and gatherings spotlights how social climbing and appearances intersect with the pressures of the new order. She represents the everyday pretensions and resilience of village life during upheaval.