Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Missie May

Traditionally, an antagonist is any character that stands in the way of the protagonist's dreams, goals, or happiness. The complication here is that we don't think Missie May meant to hurt Joe when she slept with Slemmons. We tend to believe she wanted to make Joe happy, and that meant finding him some money. Missie obviously cares for Joe—she dresses up for him, cooks for him, and wants to have his baby. What we're trying to say is, although she's the antagonist, we don't think she's a bad person. Hey, we all make mistakes.