Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

The Swamp

We admit, we’re stretching this one a bit, because no, the swamp is not a character. But our protagonist needs something that he’s fighting against. You can think of the swamp as a (literally) dark force that’s threatening Nick’s self-control: it makes him anxious, nervous, sad, and in the end he decides that it’s a place he can’t go, at least for the time being. Check out our “Symbols” section for more on how specifically the swamp might cause Nick to have an all-out breakdown.