The Role of the Protagonist

Coming of Age

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain , Emma by Jane Austen and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok are all novels of coming of age The roles of the protagonist in each novel are similarly challenged by each of their father 's who although vastly different are similarly imprisoned by some abstract or physical form of weakness . In each novel the role of the young and impressionable protagonist is characterized by a subconscious need to break paternal bounds as a means of self-development and independence . Each

of the authors use a variety of literary elements calculated to steer the coming of age growth and conflicts experienced by each of the three protagonists . Chief among the literary elements are characterization , setting and themes . The discussion that follows will examine each of the protagonists development and construction through the use of these literary elements

Jane Austen 's Emma focuses on Emma Woodhouse , a young woman of affluent society . She is adamant that she does not want to get married but takes a particular joy in matchmaking and interfering in the lives of others A turning point for Emma comes with she tries to navigate seventeen year old Harriet 's life . She wants to make her a better woman and to so Emma endeavors to come between Harriet and Martin , a farmer by setting Harriet up with Mr . Eton a Vicar whom she thinks is a better match for Harriet . Things go horribly wrong for Emma when Mr . Elton proposes to her instead and his conduct is not what Emma would have expected of him at all

Mark Twain 's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the tale of an independent youth of strength and stamina . Huckleberry Finn 's problems start when his alcoholic and violent father returns to town and kidnaps him , holding him captive in a cabin . Huckleberry escapes by staging his own death ad ends up on the run with Jim , the widow Douglas ' slave Chaim 's My Name is Asher Lev is a Hassidic Jew born into a family with strong connections to the Jewish community . Asher has a gift . He is an artist and his attention to art offends his family and community since it is their belief that the Jewish faith trumps everything else Asher 's commitment to art comes between his parents and drives a wedge between him and his father and at the same time caused pain to his parents as members of the Jewish community

Characterization

Twain 's Finn stands out from Austen 's Emma and Potok 's Lev in two material respects . He was born into abject poverty and more or less makes his own way through life . Emma and Lev on the other hand are members of families of means and deeply rooted in tradition . Very early on in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Twain introduces the reader to Huckleberry 's resistant and independent nature where Huck observes "The Widow Douglas she took me for her...