Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

The Site

It's tempting to label Biggie as the antagonist since he's the gang leader. Or maybe even the rival gang (Boston) could be blamed. If we were to do that, we wouldn't really be taking the bigger picture into account, though. Biggie has a lot to answer for, but before him there was Dread, and after him there is Tintin. So Biggie's really just a figurehead. Same can be said of the Bostons. We want to hate them since they diss our guy, but if we're real with ourselves, they are just part of a larger problem. And that larger problem is the Site.

That's right, the Site. No one wants to go near it or change anything. Sure, the U.N. sends in aid workers with some fancy medical gear, but their hands are tied. The book shows us that the extreme poverty mixed with violence in the Site makes for a potent cocktail. It's one that stops Shorty at every turn, even if he doesn't realize it.