A good story will never stand out without a protagonist, hero, or main character (whatever the term). Even the Bible stories and Aesop’s Fables feature some sort of protagonists. The story makes the protagonist, and vice versa.
But what is a good protagonist? A good protagonist is akin to a subject in art. As the most essential piece in a narrative, they are the vessel designed to convey the author’s ideal, message, or thought. It is through their protagonist that a writer is able to project him/herself into the story. In a way, the protagonist acts as the ‘puppet’ of a ‘puppeteer’ who happens to hold a pen.
A protagonist is as good as the story they appear in. Readers often recognize a story, a novel, or a certain poem through its main character(s). (Think of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Frodo Baggins in …show more content…
They often try to solve problems or handle conflicts in the most peaceful way and within reason, but when things hit rock bottom, they’re not the ones who end up at the bottom of the pile. As readers should expect, protagonists cannot be righteous at all times. A story itself is a progress – a development – of both plot and character. The story builds up the protagonist and for this reason, readers should read the book from cover to cover and not skip a page or chapter so they could witness the protagonist’s transformation and reflect over it.
The main character often possesses certain abilities that make them stand out. In Daughters of Twilight, Dane has an amazing bio: his military background, fighting prowess, expert knowledge of weapons and warfare, and his looks (which helped him get the girl), just to name a few. In some stories, the protagonist may not make their abilities known at the beginning but only in the middle and/or the end of the story, and this development will later influence the