I would have to say no.
A protagonist in a work of fiction is normally used as a catalyst for the dramatic thesis of a piece of fiction. They will either be the embodiment of the thesis, or they can realise a lesson at the end of a journey (literal or figurative).
Often though, especially in more adult literature, the protagonist will not necessarily realise anything themselves, and the dramatic thesis of the piece is left for the audience to decipher from the events that transpire, and how the hero reacts to them. This can be seen in John Cheever's The Country Husband, in which our 'hero' Francis Weed constantly seems to be about to experience a life-changing event: a plane crash, a reunion with an exiled lady, a doomed romance with a young girl, a divorce, and being arrested. These events however seem to either be resolved before they really begin, or no one cares at all.
In this story, Francis can be interpreted as a representation of Cheever's early-middle-aged state (published in 1954, so he would have been around 42 years old), living in the suburbs and being exposed to the conformity bred by this way of life. Whether this is true or not doesn't matter in this instance, since the message of the piece remains the same, and the characters detached, strained mentality serves to drive the point home.
A writer worth their salt will apply their own flaws onto a character to serve the narrative. A struggle is far easier to write about in an engaging way when it is personal to the writer.
I do appreciate that you've brought in Cheever's The Country Husband, and then listed what's at fault with it in terms of there seeming to not be much of a consequence for Francis. Thus, mistakes are made and life moves on; it's completely the opposite in terms of some of the other blogs I've read (including my own), so it's a really interesting take on the matter.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree that the message of a piece of writing remains the same, regardless of the characters. The personalities of characters helps to transmit the message, and so readers will inevitably take their flaws and everything into account when reading. However, I like you point that a struggle is easier to write about when it's personal to the writer. When writing from experience then you will put something of yourself into it, and you will have more material to draw from making the writing more profound.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amy, the choice or character and how they are portrayed can add depth to a piece of writing and be metaphor in itself for the story. But I do agree that writing from personal experience can help make an event more realistic within a story.
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