We were here, written by Matt De La Peña never had a solid antagonist. It focused on the journey to Mexico, while also developing the three main characters. The book did switch the antagonists a lot, and although not stated, the antagonist has been with Miguel since the beginning of the story. Matt Peña uses Miguel’s weak mental state and his haunting past to symbolize that the antagonist of the story is none other than Miguel himself.

The opposing or “bad” side of Miguel is always wanting to put himself in extreme situations and has no self-care. As stated on pg. 345, Rondell traps Miguel on the floor, stepping hard on his neck. Miguel yells for Rondell to step harder and kill him already. Miguel also said that if he could, he would take some pills and gas up a car. Matt displays Miguel's internal feelings, but it can be too extreme at times. At times this seems way too developed that it makes the book not enjoyable for a short period of time. The use of repetition is evident, and is a big part of the novel.

Furthermore, Miguel has a bad habit of reminding himself of the past, which hurts his mental state in severe ways. During the book, Miguel is always remembering all the good times he had with his brother, thinking it would heal his wounds of the past. His desire to bring back his brother does not heal him, but rather makes him weaker and more suicidal. This is another example of repetition, and is the main reason why Miguel dislikes Miguel. This takes on plenty of forms, such as suicide and evil thoughts. “Might as well try to make good with the rest of my life (even though I’d still trade mine for Diego’s any day of the week)”(Peña 353). He loses that feeling near the end of the book, but will give his life to return Diego. Matt used this in the great parts of the book, making the placement and amount of these enough.

Miguel, before the very end of the book, didn’t care at all and let things happen to him. He believed he had no purpose and accepted everything that happened to him. In one scene from the book, Mong stands in front of Miguel. Tension had begun growing between them, and Mong was known for taking things too the extreme. Miguel says he isn’t scared, and that Mong should go on and do what he wants to do. Matt Peña put instances like this in the book, showing that Miguel has lost his sense of self. The journey wasn’t for Mong’s sake, it was for Miguel and Rondell as well. It helped them realize that they have to move along with life and focus on the present, no matter the ups and downs. Peña really put a lot of thought into these sections of the book, which enhances the enjoyment and storytelling of the novel.

With the constant reminder of his brothers death and his past, one can deduce that the main antagonist for We were here is the dark side of protagonist Miguel. With characters becoming antagonists for very short periods, it is difficult to decide which is the main one. The antagonists are only roadblocks in this story, not severe problems. That isn't the case for Miguel. He aims to heal the wounds of his past, yet struggles to cope with the evil side of himself. Acceptance is what Miguel lacks, and if he can’t accept himself for who he is, the evil inside him will resonate for the rest of his life.