Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Arnold Baffin, Rachel Baffin, Christian Evandale

Arnold Baffin is only an antagonist if you believe what everyone says about Bradley Pearson's jealousy toward him. If you believe Bradley's version of events, Arnold was simply a close personal friend (albeit one who sometimes provoked Bradley's envy and hatred). Which version comes closest to the truth?

Rachel Baffin, too, doesn't seem to be an antagonist while Bradley Pearson is telling his tale in "The Black Prince." It's only once we reach the end of the story and realize that Rachel has murdered her husband and fingered Bradley for the crime (or so Bradley says) that she starts to take on an antagonistic role.

At the same time, Rachel never becomes a full-fledged antagonist to Bradley, since Bradley can't help seeing her as an "instrument of the god"—the person who, however unintentionally, made it possible for him to be united with his "dear friend" and editor, P. Loxias. We guess every cloud has a silver lining.

The only person whom Bradley Pearson describes in truly antagonistic terms throughout The Black Prince is his ex-wife, Christian Evandale, whom he refers to as a "witch," a "death-bringer," and a "destroyer." His resentment toward her cools long before the book is done, however, and she even lends him a hand when he flees to his northern seaside cottage with Julian Baffin. Maybe it really is a good idea to keep your friends close but your enemies closer.