Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Red Guards

Not all antagonists are "bad" guys, but when it comes to the Red Guards, they fit the bill. Not only are they mean-spirited to Ji-li and a bunch of others, they are downright unfair. They force Ji-li's grandma to kneel on the ground and slap her around, all because she was married to a landlord back in the day. That's not what makes them antagonists, though. It's the simple fact that they are in opposition to our protagonist, Ji-li, always getting in her way and making her life way harder. Sounds pretty antagonistic to us.