by Gary Fearon
When we think of antagonists from literature, we typically think of the
classic villains like Captain Hook, Injun Joe, The Wicked Witch of the
West, Hannibal Lecter, Dracula, and the other memorable personifications
of evil. But there are many other faces of conflict not of the human
variety that can be put to good use in a story.
Many
children's books choose not to pit the hero against another person.
Instead, the dilemma comes from a small difficulty that can be turned
into a problem-solving life lesson. A terrific example is
Pete the Cat,
who loves his white shoes. When he steps in strawberries that turn his
shoes red, what follows is a simple but brilliant story about learning
to accept and love yourself, cleverly disguised as a tale about shoes.
Even as adults, conflict in story teaches us to deal with life, each
dilemma in its own small way representing the eternal struggle. A
problem is a problem, no matter what form it takes. Here, then, are
some classic inhuman antagonists:
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