Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Also a good question.

Given how many different ways the protagonist can be argued in Childhood's End, it only makes sense that the same is true for the antagonist. After all, protagonists and antagonists kind of need each other. So as with the protagonist, who the antagonist is will depend on your personal reading of the story and its conflicts.

For example, if you consider Karellen to be the protagonist, then the antagonist could be the Overmind (they are kind of bossy) or even the more terrifying aspects of human nature (make war not love). But if you consider the human race to be the protagonist, then Karellen could be the antagonist since he manipulates humanity for decades. Then again, the Overmind could be the antagonist since its goal is to destroy humanity, adding our essence to its own.

Over to you, Shmoopers.