Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

The One State

The One State is the larger enemy that ultimately threatens (and devours) D-503. He's kind of like a little ant who escapes a giant prison, and now the prison wants him back. We see the State reflected in individuals—most obviously the Well-Doer, but also in smaller characters such as U- and the Second Builder, who ultimately do its job for it—but it remains so much larger than any individual or even a collection of individuals. That's classic "man vs. society" storytelling for you: an idea that most dystopian novels take full advantage of.