Ned is the narrator of the novel. He describes himself as having an overpowering fear of seeming afraid,” and of being “too imaginative to be courageous” (132). When the story begins, Ned is on the verge of proposing marriage to Gladys Hungerton. She dissuades him, leading him to embark on Challenger’s adventure.

Ned is a reporter who knows that he can get a good story out of the adventure. Over the course of the book, he proves his bravery and overcomes his insecurities. Ned is self-aware—he understands both his limits and abilities.

When he returns to London and finds Gladys married to someone else, he understands the absurdity of his situation and returns to the plateau with Roxton. Ned’s character arc progresses from a man who would risk his life to impress a woman, to a brave man who can seek adventure for its own sake.

Challenger is the brilliant, abrasive, commanding figure who leads the expedition to South America. His name signals one of the most salient features of his character: he challenges everything and everyone at every chance. When Ned originally approaches him in a letter, he responds with condescension: “I should have thought that only a sub-human intelligence could have failed to grasp the point” (15).