A Tale of Two Protagonists
We talk about two types of Protagonists; how they differ from one another and how to use them in your story writing.
Be it literature, art, or cinema, every protagonist falls into one of two types, no matter how nuanced or multifaceted that character might be.
At the very basic, the protagonist is either an everyman or a larger-than-life-hero. Today we are going to take a look at both types in detail.
The Everyman Protagonist
The everyman protagonist is quite literally your everyday guy with a normal life and normal life struggles. He is a lawyer; a stockbroker; a railway dispatch operator; a pizza delivery guy. He is your average Joe with a 9 to 5 job, a stack of bills, and a small family.
Everything about the everyday protagonist is uninteresting and unintimidating — until the day something drastic happens that turns his world upside down and even though he is out of his league, he eventually rises beyond his ordinaries and does something astonishing; thereby becoming the hero.
The Larger-Than-Life-Hero
At the other end of the scale, you have the larger-than-life-hero. This character is the ultimate protagonist!
Amazing, mesmerizing, powerful. He/she seems almost perfect. Everyone knows what incredible things this character can do. So how do we bring such an unbeatable character to life? We introduce a hint of vulnerability, a chink in the armor. Superman’s was Kryptonite and Achilles was only as strong as his heel.
Propagandistically Speaking
Keep in mind that these two personality types are not separate categories so much as they are opposite ends of the same spectrum. Most characters fall somewhere in the middle of these two extremes and as the story progresses, they drift toward the opposite ends.
As writers, our job is to show the transition to the reader. They need to see that the main character can become the opposite of how he or she appears at the beginning of the story. This is not about making your protagonist behave in ways that seem outlandish or out of character (pun intended).
Rather the goal is to show their potential for change and plant the right hints at the right time, so when your everyman hero or the larger-than-life hero does begin to shift, it doesn’t force the reader out of the story. Remember the protagonist is not the only one going through the transition. The reader is right there with him/her.
I hope this helps writers better understand the concept of protagonists. Let me know if you agree or disagree and as always, happy writing!
