I agree, Su-Jin was an interesting character because like any nation's trained soldier or governmental asset, she was simply following orders, even when those orders included sunbathing poolside.AntonelaMaria wrote: ↑01 Dec 2019, 11:23 I think the author did an incredible job with the antagonists of this story, especially Su Jin. I really liked her. I understood her motivation and reasons for doing what she did. Sure we can call her "bad" but she did what she knew and what she was thought all her life. I
Antagonists in the story?
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Re: Antagonists in the story?
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Great perspective on the juxtaposition of the two groups: friends/foes, pals/enemies, foreigns/domestics... Seems that some nations and leaders rule with an iron fist, while others take a more democratic approach. Teamwork usually accomplishes the same end goal, but some decisions are forcibly made under more duress. We got to see that in this story for sure!Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑01 Dec 2019, 03:40 The author wrote an interesting plot that incorporated a unique antagonist who usedfear and intimidation to further their aims. For me, this was an interesting contrast to the protagonists and their group who used friendship, logic, and positive influence to further their actions.
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I mostly agree. I found Dear Leader's poor geography skills preposterously funny. I didn't feel like that would be very realistic either, but I liked the entertainment value. In general, the antagonists we're okay.Helene_2008 wrote: ↑08 Dec 2019, 18:42 Honestly, I didn't like how Rhee Su-jin was portrayed. She is a highly trained terrorist but then also doesn't know enough about her cover story to throw off Steve. And Dear Leader doesn't know what coast NYC and Washington D. C. are on? I think they would have been great antagonists if they didn't make such unrealistic mistakes.
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I didn't at the time of reading but now that I've been discussing the book and dissecting it, there does seem to be an undercurrent of disdain towards South Korea. I'm not sure where the line between racism and "patriotism" is but this book toes it.nicole-adrianne wrote: ↑07 Dec 2019, 14:15 I really disliked the way America was portrayed as always loyal, easy-going, and friendly while the Koreans were all portrayed as cruel dictators or timid runaways. Did anyone else feel like that seemed casually racist?
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I agree on all accounts. I was not impressed with Su Jin as an antagonist. I also found her rather incompetent!Tomah wrote: ↑03 Dec 2019, 13:47 I'll be honest: the antagonists were my least favorite part of the novel. The portrayal of North Korea as a nation lead by a dumb and crazy man with plans of world domination shows a very simplistic understanding of global geopolitics. I also felt Rhee Su-jin was rather incompetent, leaving a phone lying around that can give anyone access to the computers and failing to blend in or memorize her background story properly, for example.
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I don't know. One could argue the fact that narrative is one sided. I don't feel like the USA team is such a bright group of people either. I didn't connected with then despite them being protagonists and portrayed positive by the author. I would say overall everything was very right ot wrong, good or bad and that of course is not realistic at all.nicole-adrianne wrote: ↑07 Dec 2019, 14:15 I really disliked the way America was portrayed as always loyal, easy-going, and friendly while the Koreans were all portrayed as cruel dictators or timid runaways. Did anyone else feel like that seemed casually racist?
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To me, the antagonists and protagonists were well balanced. A strong protagonist and a strong antagonist makes sense.Ferdinand_otieno wrote: ↑01 Dec 2019, 03:40 The author wrote an interesting plot that incorporated a unique antagonist who usedfear and intimidation to further their aims. For me, this was an interesting contrast to the protagonists and their group who used friendship, logic, and positive influence to further their actions. I found that I loved how the antagonists were potrayed in this story, especially Rhee Su-Jin.
What did you think about the antagonists in this story?