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RC1

RobertC
Mrs.P
LA8VT
21October2015
JapeWaltzer:ASatan,AMystery,andAnAntagonist
Villain.Theyseemtocompleteastorybyaddingdepthintheplotbyrepresenting
something;somethingdeeperthantheirstereotypicalvillainoustraits.Theprotagonistis
merelytheoppositeofthevillain.Thevillainhasthetaskofactuatingconflictwiththe
protagonist.Toclarify,thevillain,beingtheoppositeoftheprotagonisthastheroleofincitinga
deeperdimensiontotheprotagonist,asthevillainembodiestheopposite,demonstratedinPeace
LikeaRiverbyLeifEnger,asheplacesthevillain,JapeWaltzer,neartheendoftheplotline
andwithnoclearbackstory.Despitethis,hisroleseemsextremelyimportant,inthatitalludes
toBiblicalstories,andhereinforcessymbolssuchasgodliness,blasphemy,etc.Whatthereader
shouldnote,isthatWaltzerdoesnothaveapredisposedmeaningandisnotwellcharacterizedin
thenovel,buthedoesprovideadimensionofthinkingthatimploresthereadertoseebeyondthe
text.Assuch,inEngersPeaceLikeaRiver,JapeWaltzerhasasignificantrole,servingasan
allusiontoSatan,acharacterwithmystery,andanantagonisttothenovel.
EngerportraysJapeWaltzermuchlikeSatanintheBible,throughstrongimplicationand
Godforsakingtraits.ThemaincharacterofPeaceLikeaRiver,ReubenLand,seesWaltzers
depthandmysteryfirsthandandbridgesthegapbetweenthereaderandWaltzer.Engersfirst
allusionofWaltzertoSatanisdemonstratedatthedinnertable.YoungLandpraysoverhisfood,
thankingGod,butWaltzerhasanapparentconflictwiththedeity,declaring,Youarethanking

RC2
Godforthefood[?]whenHedidnotfiveittoyou.Igaveittoyouanddidsofreely.Thank
me(Enger233).Engersuggestsablasphemoustone,providingthereaderanimageofhis
attitudetowardGod.Hisassertion,seeminglysubtle,paintstheimageofonewhoclasheswith
Godinaway,muchlikeLuciferfromtheBible.TheallusiontoSatanpointsoutthatJeremiah,
Landsgodfearing,righteousfather,couldbealludedtoGod,asheseemstobetheoppositeof
JapeWaltzer.Earlierinthetext,Reubenalsohasadreamofanimpish,Goyancreaturestealing
hisbreathandplacingitinaskinbag.TheGoyanmonsterinReubensdreamreappearstoLand
afterfaintingatWaltzersabode,stronglyimplyingthatWaltzeristheimp,thedevilthatisout
togetReuben.Asheinternalizesthisquickly,hehasadream,consistingofanimageofthe
impscountry,AcrossalandscapeofkilledgrassItwasthelittlemanscountry[theimp]I
felt[theimp]approachingHesoonfoundme.Iwasconfusedwonderingabouttheskinbag.It
seemedtomethatWaltzermusthaveitandthathewantedsomethingbesides(Enger237).
Reubeninherentlymakestheconnectionbetweentheskinbagcreature(animporSatan)toJape
Waltzer.Thesomethingbesidesbitisacloudyconceptthough.Theskinbagofbreathmay
alludetoReubensverylifeorhisfamilyslivesorhisloyalty.Thisotherthingmaycomeasa
conceptinWaltzersothervillainousattributes.
Secondly,EngerkeepsdetailsofWaltzerspastandcurrentwhereaboutsfromthereader
tocraftaneerie,disturbinguncertaintyabouthisbehaviorandtoaddoverallcomplexityto
PeaceLikeaRiver.Reubenhasabrother,namedDavyLandwhowascontroversiallytriedfor
murderandranawaytoescapeconviction.DavysoonfoundhimselfinthehandsofJape
Waltzer.Althoughhedoesnotclearlysayit,Engerheavilyimpliesdetailsconcerninghispast,
asWaltzerconcedes,[Youwere]happytheprincipalwasgoingtothumpsomeoneelse

RC3
thoughyouwhisperedinclasssomethimesIsatin[thecaf]pleasedenoughtosmirkI
waspleased[Davy]wasintrouble[withthelaw],anditwasnotme(Enger231).Hisreliefof
notbeingintroublewiththelawatthecurrentmomentisdarkandeerieandiswrittentobeso,
implyingthathehimselfhasalsofoundtroublewithalawinsomerespect.Itcanbeconceived
thatWaltzerusesthisuncertaintytopainttheimageofavillainwithoutclearmotivesor
intentions,andcauseshisappearancetoconstrueahigherevilthanamassterroristorserial
killercouldeveramountto.Swede,ReubenLandsinnocentsisterwritesapoemcalledSunny
Sundown,aromanticWesternstylepoemaboutahero,SunnySundownandanuncatchable
villain,Valdez.Intheend,whereinWaltzerdoesthefinalactofterrorontheLandsandshoots
theirfather,actsinherentlyasthefinalValdezofPeaceLikeaRiver.Hisdisappearancetiesin
withEngersuseofretainingdetailsfromthereader.Assuch,JapeWaltzerprovedas
uncatchableasSwedesownValdez.NodoubthewenttomischiefelsewhereMaybehes
dead[maybe]hesjustold,and[in]amoresulfurouspoisonthanbefore.Anythingispossible
(Enger309).ThisdemonstrateshowWaltzerisshroudedinmysterythroughoutthebook;the
readernevergetsthesatisfactionortheinformationofWaltzerswhereabouts.Thistiesinwith
Waltzersantagonism.
Finally,intheuniversalbattlebetweengoodandevil,JapeWallzercanbeperceivedas
theultimateantagonistofEngersPeaceLikeaRiver.Amongotherspiritualsubjectsinthe
subtextthenovel,hehasphysicalantagonisticmotives,notjustadeepevil.Intheearlier
chapters,areadermayhavethisthoughtthatthefederalagentshuntingDavy,theeldestsonof
Jeremiah,astheantagonist(namelyMartinAndreeson).However,itcanbeconstruedthat
AndreesonmaybemerelydoinghisjobtofindDavyandtogethimoutofharmsway.

RC4
WaltzersmotivetokillAndreesonhimselfwasnottoaidtheLands,buttocoveruphistracks
abouthisimpliedearliercrimesandhiscurrentwhereabouts,asintheepilogue,itwasindeed
Walzerwhobludgeonedhimandrolledhispoorcorpseintothelignitetohiss(Enger309).It
wasperhaps,usedtoexemplifyWaltzersroleasthetruevillaininthenovel.Jeremiah,theHoly
fatheroftheLands,pointsoutasignificantanecdoteinthelatterpartofthefirstchapter,We
andtheworld,mychildren,willalwaysbeatwar.Retreatisimpossible.Armyourselves(Enger
4).ThewordsofwisdomplaceaspiritualbattleandaphysicalbattlewithWalzerinabroader
contextbeingauniqueparallelbetweenthemetaphysicalandtheempiricalattributesofthe
novel.Inthat,Waltzerservesasthevillaininbothends.Hisdutyasthevillainphysicallyends
asJermiahends(whenheshootshim),buthismetaphysicaldutytobealwaysatwar(asSatan)
withtherestoftheLandswillneverend.Hisfinaldeedofphysicalvillainycanbesummedup
as,I[Reuben]spottedWaltzerthroughthesmoke.Hefired[atJeremiahandme].Isuppose
Japehasledme,likeaflailinggoose(Enger299).Waltzercontinuesonwiththespiritualwar,
whichthebooknecessitatedtoendappropriately.
AsWaltzerservesasanallusiontoSatan,acharacterwithmystery,andanantagonistto
thePeaceLikeaRiver,areaderplacehispersonaaphysicalandmetaphysicalcontext.Theway
Waltzermeetshisphysicalendinvillainy(atleasttotheLands)iscomparabletoLord
VoldemortinRowlingsHarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows.Inshort,Voldemortcannotkill
Harrybecausehewillkillhimself.Hehasplacedhissoulinvariousobjectstogrowstronger.
JeremiahisWaltzersfinalobject(orhorcrux).WhenJapeWaltzerkillsJeremiah,hekills
himselfinrelationtohisphysicalvillainy.ThisgoesthesameforHarryPotter,asVoldemort
onlyservesthepurposeofbeingtheoppositeoftheprotagonist,Harry.Thesetextsdemonstrate

RC5
aneedforanantagonist,theantagonistbeingthenegativeforceimpedingtheprotagonist.Itcan
bearguedwhetherJeremiahorReubenistheprotagonistofthenovel.TheDCcomicwriter,
GeoffJohnsalsoassertstheimportanceofanantagonist,explaining,Evilisrelativeandwhat
Imeanbythatisthatourvillainsareascomplex,asdeepandascompellingasanyofourheroes.
EveryantagonistintheDCUniversehasauniquedarkness,desireanddrive.Onemayfindthat
Waltzer,likeotherDCvillainsisascompellingastheprotagonistsinPeaceLikeaRiver.His
uniquedarkness,desire,anddriveareuniquelymetaphysicalandphysicalandcompelling.
Waltzerisacompellingvillaininthatway.

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