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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AvidBibliophile
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Re: Antagonists in the story?

Post by AvidBibliophile »

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
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.
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Post by AvidBibliophile »

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.
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!
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Post by nicole-adrianne »

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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Post by Laila_Hashem »

I always enjoy books that give background stories to antagonists, as it did with Rhee. I don't find antagonists who are just 'evil' to be realistic.
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Post by Helene_2008 »

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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Post by ElizaBeth Adams »

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.
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.
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Post by Erin Dydek »

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.
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Post by Reynaa »

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?
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.
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Post by Brenda Creech »

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.
I agree on all accounts. I was not impressed with Su Jin as an antagonist. I also found her rather incompetent! :lire4:
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Post by Urbashi Basu »

I liked the portrayal of the DL the best. The author has the characteristics of a tyrant down to tee whichever nation the tryant may belong to.
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

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?
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.
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Post by Urbashi Basu »

I think Rhee su jin is the most fleshed out antagonist. I like her initial reaction to tourist and her dedication. I wonder what happened to her finally
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Post by Sanju Lali »

Antagonist do whatever good or bad, and most notably use intimidation and fear as a tool to direct the other people to get what they want. The portrayal of antagonist was interesting.
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Post by mensah2 »

The activities of antagonist in every story is short lived.Darkness is always overshadowed by light. The use of fear and intimidation is short lived.
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Post by Nuel Ukah »

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?
To me, the antagonists and protagonists were well balanced. A strong protagonist and a strong antagonist makes sense.
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