Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Merry Levov

It's pretty easy to see Merry as the antagonist. Her family is terrorized by her actions throughout the novel, not to speak of the families of her victims and the victims themselves. Although the Swede loves her, she is his chief antagonist.

Rita Cohen

Rita Cohen brutally terrorizes the Swede with her words and with her mysteriousness. She is the Swede's only known connection to his daughter through much of the novel, and he feels he's a slave to her insanity. She might be connected with the bombings, and she might not. She might know Merry and she might not.

Is she more of a villain if she actually knows Merry, or if she doesn't and is just stalking her, robbing the Swede of cash and toying with him? Rita is a bizarre villain, compelling and twisted, and she injects even deeper layers of uncertainty to the mystery of Merry.