Ray is a significant character in the book “Grenade” because he is the main American soldier in the story. He is the antagonist to the Japanese soldiers including Hideki since the Americans are at war with them. Ray ran away from home to join the Marines and nothing has been the same since then. When their boat departs to invade Okinawa, Ray’s heart pounds in his chest as he thinks he is going to die right on the spot when they arrive. He is also given two grenades, like Hideki is, in order to kill as many Japanese soldiers as possible. According to Ray’s commander, Sergeant Meredith, if they want to have any chance of survival, they should “Stay low, don’t bunch up, and run like hell!” Nevertheless, Ray is still nervous. At the start of the battle, he tries to stay calm, focused, and confident, but he can’t help feeling scared. Although, once he steps foot on the island, he realizes that there is no gunfire at all so he and his soldier mates eventually find and slaughter a pig while they wait. This gives them a few moments to build up their strength and prepare for what lays ahead of them. When people are put into tough situations like Ray is in the story, they often feel as if they are going to fail. However, they just need to prepare themselves for the obstacles they may face. Like Ray, people should try to take time to reflect on tough situations and they should always try to look on the bright side and stay positive. Ultimately, if more people begin to take a step forward to try to fix the problems in their lives, it will become less likely for them to be in a difficult situation ever again.