Antagonists in the story?

Use this forum to discuss the December 2019 Book of the month, "E-M-P Honeymoon", by Dorothy May Mercer
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Re: Antagonists in the story?

Post by ciecheesemeister »

For the most part, they were bumbling blockheads who weren't very well trained. Why would you send someone to an assignment without making sure they knew what they were talking about regarding the area they are supposed to come from and work in? The Dear Leader character was just one step away from being a mustache-twirling Vaudevillian villain. Everything fit too easily into neat little packages with Team USA being the clear winners and the North Koreans being inept boobs.
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Post by Blindjew »

For me, the primary antagonist (Dear Leader) and one of the periphery protagonists (President Bigalow) were direct parodies of present, real world leaders. Dear Leader seemed a parody of Norht Korea's dictator and President Bigalow a parody of President Trump. For the periphery/lesser antagonists, I really did enjoy seeing their struggles while squirming as the worms on hooks for the pole of the regime that Dear Leader had, from General Lee's efforts to keep from being either without a backup plan or not successful enough to pass the grade to the chief scientist's efforts to undermine the clearly corrupt regime. The latter might be considered a protagonist, even. I did enjoy seeing that sort of intrigue on the antagonists' side.
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Post by Jeremie Mondejar »

Everydayadventure15 wrote: 10 Dec 2019, 11:42 I found the antics of the antagonists funny because they sabotaged themselves with their incompetency. The way they were written played well with how easily things went for Team USA as they tried to stop the missile from being launched. For example: Su-Jin couldn’t remember her cover-story after three months of training for the mission (which included how to be an American tourist) this made it easier for me to believe she would leave a cell phone that the Americans could use to hack into the computer for information much easier to believe. And (spoilers) Dear Leader calling the president to brag about his plan was also comical because his own lead scientist had already sabotaged the weapon. Still, I think Mercer does a great job bringing awareness to potentially serious threats with a light-hearted narrative with a happy ending...sometimes it’s nice to read a book that doesn’t leave you sick to your stomach with doomsday what if’s.
Very well said! It seems that mishaps happen even if how trained or prepared you are in a mission. The missile manufacturers are somehow real because they had been kidnapped or trapped without any choice other than to do what they are told. They also have hopes, which is to be with their family, however, they are in the wrong hands.
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

Blindjew wrote: 20 Dec 2019, 16:59 For me, the primary antagonist (Dear Leader) and one of the periphery protagonists (President Bigalow) were direct parodies of present, real world leaders. Dear Leader seemed a parody of Norht Korea's dictator and President Bigalow a parody of President Trump. For the periphery/lesser antagonists, I really did enjoy seeing their struggles while squirming as the worms on hooks for the pole of the regime that Dear Leader had, from General Lee's efforts to keep from being either without a backup plan or not successful enough to pass the grade to the chief scientist's efforts to undermine the clearly corrupt regime. The latter might be considered a protagonist, even. I did enjoy seeing that sort of intrigue on the antagonists' side.
I agree. I could see the parody of real-life characters as well.
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

ciecheesemeister wrote: 18 Dec 2019, 23:07 For the most part, they were bumbling blockheads who weren't very well trained. Why would you send someone to an assignment without making sure they knew what they were talking about regarding the area they are supposed to come from and work in? The Dear Leader character was just one step away from being a mustache-twirling Vaudevillian villain. Everything fit too easily into neat little packages with Team USA being the clear winners and the North Koreans being inept boobs.
Good points. I still like Su Jin better than other characters. Even when the author made her stumble over some very easy tasks.
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Post by Prisallen »

I felt like DL's character was not good. He was smart and in control at first, and he became less and less intelligent as time went on. I liked Su-Jin's character. You could understand her motivations.
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Post by [Danielle] »

I was excited to find out more about Rhee Su-jin at the beginning of the story, but felt like we never really got more development of her character after the first few chapters of the novel. I was disappointed how little of her point of view we got to see during the rising action and climax of the story.
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Post by nooregano »

Wow, I love these comments. Well fleshed out antagonists are really important! I think they build empathy in a completely different way.
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Post by Jeremie Mondejar »

Prisallen wrote: 24 Dec 2019, 17:39 I felt like DL's character was not good. He was smart and in control at first, and he became less and less intelligent as time went on. I liked Su-Jin's character. You could understand her motivations.
I even wonder, why is it that DL did not secure the remote control? I can't imagine the punishment on their group, too, if they are caught by DL. Even if the punishment was not described in detail, but the simple description sound creepy.
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Post by Jeremie Mondejar »

[Danielle] wrote: 25 Dec 2019, 12:29 I was excited to find out more about Rhee Su-jin at the beginning of the story, but felt like we never really got more development of her character after the first few chapters of the novel. I was disappointed how little of her point of view we got to see during the rising action and climax of the story.
The climax sometimes frustrating because it was not written in detail. It seems that the readers will continue to think about them. Since then, it was just a story. :P
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

[Danielle] wrote: 25 Dec 2019, 12:29 I was excited to find out more about Rhee Su-jin at the beginning of the story, but felt like we never really got more development of her character after the first few chapters of the novel. I was disappointed how little of her point of view we got to see during the rising action and climax of the story.
I was disappointed by that too. It seems she was suddenly forgotten.
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

Prisallen wrote: 24 Dec 2019, 17:39 I felt like DL's character was not good. He was smart and in control at first, and he became less and less intelligent as time went on. I liked Su-Jin's character. You could understand her motivations.
I likes SunJin character as the antagonist of the story too. Even though at some point the author made her overly simplistic too. In the beginning, she is this trained terrorist than at some point she is fumbling idiot and later on, she just disappears from the storyline. I can't remember right now, what happened to her in the end?
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Post by Dragonsend »

I thought the antagonists were well written with the intent to add humor to the novel. They added a "diabolical" element that brought levity to the whole seriousness of the topic being portrayed.
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Post by Dragonsend »

AntonelaMaria wrote: 29 Dec 2019, 05:16
[Danielle] wrote: 25 Dec 2019, 12:29 I was excited to find out more about Rhee Su-jin at the beginning of the story but felt like we never really got more development of her character after the first few chapters of the novel. I was disappointed with how little of her point of view we got to see during the rising action and climax of the story.
I was disappointed by that too. It seems she was suddenly forgotten.
I think that was intentional. As soon as she was played as an inept spy she became less integral to the plot. The author obviously made the novel more about Team USA's actions than the hostiles.
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

Dragonsend wrote: 01 Jan 2020, 15:19
AntonelaMaria wrote: 29 Dec 2019, 05:16
[Danielle] wrote: 25 Dec 2019, 12:29 I was excited to find out more about Rhee Su-jin at the beginning of the story but felt like we never really got more development of her character after the first few chapters of the novel. I was disappointed with how little of her point of view we got to see during the rising action and climax of the story.
I was disappointed by that too. It seems she was suddenly forgotten.
I think that was intentional. As soon as she was played as an inept spy she became less integral to the plot. The author obviously made the novel more about Team USA's actions than the hostiles.
You are right. I guess I was more intrigued by her so that is why I missed her later on.
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