Protagonist\'s Progressions the Novel, Since

¶ … Protagonist's Progressions

The novel, since it was first conceived, has been a powerful literary tool for introspection and the examination of the individual. Through the course of a novel, the reader follows the characters' journey, hopefully becoming involved in the plot and feeling the glory of the triumphs and the stings of disappointment and failure as the characters themselves experience these events. When the novel focuses on one main character, the protagonist, as many novels -- if not most of them -- do, this connection between reader and character can become even stronger. Ultimately, however, the strength of this connection is determined by the strength of the protagonists' connection to and understanding of themselves. Three novels that track the rowing self-awareness of the protagonist and so draw the reader in are Jane Austen's Emma, Mark Twain's the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. The protagonists in each of these here works are proudly and prominently proclaimed in the title, but there are, not surprisingly, other more subtle literary elements at work in these novels that are used to explore the protagonists' journey towards self-awareness. Specifically, Austen, Twain, and Potok have ensured that the style of narration, characterizations, and the plot of each novel are all uniquely suited to revealing the individual characters of Emma Woodhouse, Huckleberry Finn, and Asher Lev.

Both the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and My Name is Asher Lev are narrated in the first person by the protagonist, and though Emma is technically narrated in the third person, there is only one brief scene in the entire novel that takes place outside of Emma's direct observation, and the limited omniscience of the third-person narrator often makes it difficult to tell whether certain observations are the narrator's or Emma's herself (Twain, 1885, Potok, 1972, Austen 1815). The various uses of narration really help to define the characters and let the reader in for a more intimate view of their journeys towards self-awareness. The first line of Emma makes it clear that, at the beginning of the novel, the protagonist views herself as an object and somehow removed and isolated from others: "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence" (Austen, 1815, p. 1). The fact that the narration is in the third person yet follows this protagonist so closely emphasizes this sense of remove. Huck, in narrating his own adventures, makes his voice and attitudes very clear. For most of the book, he appears incredibly innocent and naive, but he becomes aware of his ignorance and takes steps to correct it, learning the spelling of his fake name because "somebody might want me to spell it next" (Twain, 1885, p. 138). His frankness regarding his own character is one of the major lessons of the novel, and what leads to his ultimate decision to leave society. Aher Lev, too, narrates his own story, beginning in his childhood and continuing into his early adulthood. The change in his tone of voice is the clearest example of his growth as a character and is self-awareness and self-fulfillment (Potok, 1972).

The other characters in the novel are also used very effectively to illustrate the growing self-awareness of each of these characters. In Emma, the characters of Mr. Knightley and Harriet Smith are especially important in this regard. Emma's misguided attempts to find a "suitable" husband for Harriet make her own prejudices and weaknesses of mind and spirit very clear (Austen, 1815). The great irony of the novel occurs when Emma, who has considered herself outside the possibility of marriage, learns that Harriet has set her eyes on Mr. Knightley, and realizes that she herself is in love with him (Austen, 1815). In Huckleberry Finn, Huck's transformation would be almost impossible to observe without the appearance of many famous characters, including the King and Duke, the Widow Douglas, Aunt Sally, and of course Tom Sawyer, just to name a few.

Tom especially reveals the extent of Huck's character change from the beginning of the novel to the end. At the outset, the two are friends who get into trouble together, but by the end, Huck has serious and weighty thoughts that require action, but Tom doesn't seem to appreciate the gravity of Jim's situation and still wants to play games (Twain, 1885). This reveals that Huck's encounters have led to growth, while Tom's more protected life has kept him immature. In My Name is Asher Lev, Ahsr's parents and the Rebbe are important, but Jacob Kahn has the most direct influence over Asher, telling him "as an artist you are responsible to no one and to nothing, except to yourself and to the truth as you see it'" (Potok, 1972, p. 218). Ultimately, Asher Lev takes this advice and the life it leads to over the community of his parents.