The Journey of three people

The Role of the Protagonist

Custom Research by Essay The Role of the Protagonist

Abstract

In a novel , the protagonist plays an extremely vital role in terms of keeping the action of the plot progressing toward its eventual climax interacting with the characters , and providing a unifying theme for the overall work . This will present and discuss the protagonists in three of the best known works in literature

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens

When reading the classic American novel , The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , the

story comes to life through vivid characterization and the prospect of new adventure each time the reader turns a page . Since Twain (Clemens ) wrote this book , it has delighted most , offended some and provided a source of delight and contemplation for millions of children and adults alike . As the title implies , the protagonist is found in the person of one Huckleberry Finn

Before one can truly understand and appreciate Finn 's role as protagonist in this work , one must first understand and appreciate the circumstances of his young , yet quite complicated life . Huckleberry Finn does not live in a traditional family setting by any means-in fact he is basically devoid of any traditional family structure at all . His father , a raging alcoholic , only seeks out his son when he is in need of money , and even then , the confrontations are violent and unpleasant to say the least . Huckleberry , as a means of survival , frequently sleeps in hog 's heads , the large barrels that are used to ship goods on the huge riverboats of the mighty Mississippi River , smokes a pipe , and generally don 't want to cause nobody no fuss (Twain , 1912 However , in the activities of his everyday life , the boy gets into more than his share of mischief , thereby providing the catalyst for the story

Huckleberry Finn fulfills the role as protagonist by going above and beyond the call of duty . To be more specific , there are several key adventures ' within the novel that simply make things happen . For example , one of Huck 's friends , Jim , is an escaped slave who is constantly being pursued by bounty hunters who would capture him and turn him in for a large reward . Huck , doing what any respectable protagonist would do , takes Jim on a wild trip down the Mississippi River on a raft in search of territory where Jim could be free of his pursuers . In the process , Huck and Jim play a fast paced game of cat and mouse with the bounty hunters , and intense action ensues . Beneath the surface , this sub-plot also addresses one of the headiest issues of the time during which Twain wrote it-the question of slavery and the effect that it has on human beings on both sides of the controversy , as seen through the eyes of a child

Interestingly enough , Twain also cleverly flirts with the possibility that Huckleberry Finn may be completely transformed when an attempt is made for him to...