Barsidious White is the antagonist of the novel. He refers to himself as Barsidious White as well as Tin Man. His name Barsidious White comes from the name of the first family that he killed. Of course, white is also a color that symbolizes innocence, which is what was ultimately destroyed by the devil. He is called the Tin Man because of the tin mask that he wears most of the time. During the novel, White also masquerades as Officer Morton Lawdale as he tries to convince Jack and his group that he is the one who will bring them their salvation from their problems in the basement. In this role, White serves as the anti-Christ.
Before Jack and his group came to the house, White made a deal with the inbreds to let him in the basement door at the appointed time so that he can join the game. White is also the one who sets out the spike strips so that the tires on the two couples' cars are flattened. White kills Lawdale and takes his uniform and police cruiser so that he can appear to be Lawdale. The only different that Jack finds between the real Lawdale and the fake is that the fake Lawdale has black eyes while the trooper's eyes were blue.
White's game is one in which he hopes to prove to the people who he chooses to play his game how guilty they actually are. He tries to make the people realize this by pitting them against each other the dark and evil intentions they really hold in their hearts. He describes this as the playing out of everyday life in which people take out their anger on others in action instead of talking about them and being petty behind their backs. His intention is to prove that everyone is as capable of murder as he is.
Although it is never made completely clear, it is assumed that White is some sort of demon or ghost. Susan indicates White can be killed, but says that this action is not easy. It appears that White has been at least badly injured by the light that emits from Susan, Jack and Stephanie at the end of the novel, but he does not appear to have been killed because the police do not find his body when they investigate the house. Stephanie indicates that she believes he will kill again.
