Character Analysis
Captain Fellows runs the Central American Banana Company and lives along the river with his wife Mrs. Fellows (Trixy) and their clever daughter Coral. As we noted in the Characterization section, Captain Fellows shuns responsibility like he avoids a frown on his face. He likes to smile and smile and be a chillin'. He's a walk the path of least resistance kind of guy. He sings to himself, tries to calm the nerves of his frantic wife, and fails to follow through on his commands to Coral.
How do things get done on the banana plantation, you ask? Coral, for one. She's a child, but responsible for her age. Intense too. She puts the lieutenant up for the night while at the same time hiding the priest—and shows no signs of worry. She tells the priest matter-of-factly that she lost her faith at the age of ten, suggests to him that he renounce his faith (using vocabulary from her schoolbook), and tries to teach him Morse code so she can help him in the future. Don't forget—she's still very much a child.
Mrs. Fellows lives in a constant state of anxiety and panic, terrified of things seen and unseen. Death most of all. She's not happy in this place and wishes to leave. She's oblivious to the priest's presence—a secret kept from her by Coral and her husband.
When the priest is finally captured, she expects "he deserves all he gets" (4.60). Why this animosity? As we note in the Theme section, Mrs. Fellows cannot face her deepest fears, so she obsesses over threats she can face. She cannot bear to think of her departed daughter, so she channels her pain toward the priest.
The Fellows are not a religious family, but the persecution of the Church has affected them. Coral hides the priest as a curiosity. Captain Fellows feels compelled to take on some responsibility. He and his wife feel unsettled when the priest is gone, but they do not know the cause.