Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Glen Waddell

You don't get much more Bad Guy than Glen. He's seedy and suspicious from the beginning, he's self-centered and possessive, he's prone to violent outbursts, and, oh yeah, he's a sexual abuser. Minus points for sure.

But somehow, all this bad stuff isn't what makes him the antagonist. In order for Glen to be an antagonist, he has to be set in direct opposition to the protagonist and cause her trouble or stand in the way of what she is trying to achieve.

Oh, wait: Glen fits that bill, too. Bone is his one and only target, and while Bone does encounter other un-Glen-related obstacles (like fighting with Shannon Pearl, witnessing Alma's breakdown, and stealing from Woolworth's), we can still trace most of her low self-esteem and self-loathing back to Glen's abuse.