Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Etta Heine

This is where the character roles get a bit funky and hard to assign. Even though Ishmael is the protagonist, Etta Heine isn't really his enemy per se; she's more Kabuo's nemesis. However, the (racist) viewpoints she expresses and pure, unadulterated hatefulness in which she revels make her the best choice for the villain of the piece. And not for nothing, her extreme prejudice against and fear of Japanese Americans are exactly the kinds of sentiments that caused the detention of Japanese Americans during World War II, which is what precipitated his breakup with Hatsue, which… basically ruined his life, in his view. So, maybe she is Ishmael's nemesis, too.