The contrast between the characters of the magistrate who is the protagonist of the novel Waiting for the Barbarians, and Colonel Joll who is the antagonist is a perfect example of an antithesis based on their personality and their morality. perspectives. The contradictory attributes of the characters constitute the basic elements of the antithesis. Throughout the novel, the magistrate is portrayed as a person seeking truth while Colonel Joll is portrayed as a perpetrator of violence and injustice. In the line, "I was the lie Empire tells itself when times are easy, he the truth Empire tells itself when winds blow high." JM Coetzee attempts to introduce an antithesis to readers by contrasting the roles of the two characters. This phrase also indicates the hypocrisy and duplicity of the Empire. In the passage, the Magistrate comes to the conclusion that he is in fact similar to Colonel Joll in the sense that they are both part of the machinery of the Empire. The character of the magistrate is only a mask which hides the ugly face of the Empire, represented by the image of Colonel Joll. In short, the magistrate and Colonel Joll are two sides of the same coin, as the magistrate says: "The two faces of imperial power, no more, no less." The contrast between "lie" and "truth" in the second sentence of the passage is very significant because it constitutes the fundamental element of the antithesis introduced by Coetzee. The phrase implies that the magistrate's role in the Empire is merely superficial and that the image of Colonel Joll is the reality. In the same sentence, Coetzee uses the phrases "when times are easy" to describe a "peaceful time" and "when strong winds blow" to describe a "hard time." This choice of words is effective because it gives an active...... middle of paper ......more rustic words, the guardian will come down furtively from his tower to spend the night with his wife..." In this sentence, we can see how optimistic the magistrate is becoming about the city's future. It is only a matter of time before “calm” returns. In this sentence, Coetzee associates peace with “calm”. By “tranquility” he does not mean an absence of noise or sound but an absence of fear and anxiety. When “calm” returns, city dwellers will no longer have anything to worry about. It is not necessary for the guards to be vigilant all the time and they can even "sneak down" from the tower to be with their wives. The descriptions Coetzee provides in this passage, although simple, are vivid and intriguing. Coetzee manages to convey his message successfully and effectively. Although the diction and vocabulary are very difficult to understand, this passage has an impact on me..