Every well-written fiction novel has a protagonist and an antagonist. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has a clear and defined protagonist, but a strange antagonist. Told from the perspective of a young girl named Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, the book follows the story of her young life, but quickly shifts to a terrible trial brought on by an African American's false accusation based solely on the simple fact that he is a person of color. Throughout the novel, it becomes clear that Maycomb County antagonizes its people, making them the antagonist. Obviously, a city itself cannot be an antagonist, but its inhabitants can. The alienation, hatred towards those who support justice and harsh living conditions bear witness to this. Maycomb County alienates poor and embarrassing people. When the novel introduces the Cunninghams as one of the poorest families in Maycomb, Atticus says, “'Mr. Cunningham [...] came from a definite race of men” (Lee 28). The head of the family is Mr. Cunningham and therefore represents the family as a whole, as the husband and father of a family usually earns money in a 1930s family. Lee uses a metaphor to compare the Cunninghams to a defined race of people. “Breed” refers to an animal that has a different appearance from others. “Set” means that the trait is passed down, referring to poverty. A “defined breed” means a type of animal or person differentiated by specific traits or appearance. This means that the Cunninghams are distinct from other families. They become alienated from society. Since poverty runs in their family, “Cunningham” is synonymous with “poor.” The county alienates them, and therefore the poor. The county also alienates the Ewells, but to be embarrassing. Atticus says,...... middle of paper ......d prejudice. However, he must leave his “cocoon”, that is to say, expose himself to these negative aspects of his hometown. Jem becomes vulnerable, which leads him to discern the harsh prejudices and racists among whom he lives, which destabilizes him. To afflict a person means to upset them; therefore, Maycomb antagonizes his people. The antagonization is clearly present in Maycomb County. The alienation of the poor and the embarrassment, the hatred towards people who promote righteousness and the anguish of the population show that this is true. By making the county as a whole the protagonist, Lee makes the point that racism and prejudice cause conflict in society. Interestingly, instead of having one antagonist to represent all that is evil, she says that all the people who make up a county or community each work together to cause trouble and the potential death of an innocent "mockingbird."..”