While I do agree Ray is a disturbing character, I think that’s what makes him a well written antagonist. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to justify his actions at all in fact I find him very infuriating. The grooming aspect especially makes him deeply unsettling, and that’s kind of the point, hes written to be predatory and unsettling, and the story doesn’t soften that at all.
The MC is clearly a victim in that situation, and the “love” there is completely one sided and shaped by manipulation rather than anything healthy or mutual. Because of that, I actually hope the ML helps him slowly realize that what he experienced wasn’t love at all, and that he can eventually move toward a healthier & happier ending where he’s free from that influence.
That being said, as effective as he is as a character, I do wish his backstory could be a bit shorter or less drawn out. I get what they were going for, but at a certain point I honestly just don’t care to spend more time with him than necessary. Still, I can’t deny he’s written in a way that strongly gets under your skin, which does make him effective as an antagonist. I just hope he’s removed from the story sooner rather than later since I don’t really like him, and I can already see him being set up to cause a lot of unnecessary drama.
While I do agree Ray is a disturbing character, I think that’s what makes him a well written antagonist. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to justify his actions at all in fact I find him very infuriating. The grooming aspect especially makes him deeply unsettling, and that’s kind of the point, hes written to be predatory and unsettling, and the story doesn’t soften that at all.
The MC is clearly a victim in that situation, and the “love” there is completely one sided and shaped by manipulation rather than anything healthy or mutual.
Because of that, I actually hope the ML helps him slowly realize that what he experienced wasn’t love at all, and that he can eventually move toward a healthier & happier ending where he’s free from that influence.
That being said, as effective as he is as a character, I do wish his backstory could be a bit shorter or less drawn out. I get what they were going for, but at a certain point I honestly just don’t care to spend more time with him than necessary. Still, I can’t deny he’s written in a way that strongly gets under your skin, which does make him effective as an antagonist. I just hope he’s removed from the story sooner rather than later since I don’t really like him, and I can already see him being set up to cause a lot of unnecessary drama.