Hey, fellow readers — welcome to class. Today, we’re diving into the topic of protagonists. And yes, I know you probably remember this from English class — but just in case it’s been a minute (it definitely has for me), here’s a quick refresher: A protagonist is basically the main character of a story. It’s the person the plot revolves around. Sometimes it gets a little tricky, like when the protagonist isn’t the narrator. For example, in The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway is telling the story, but the book centers around Jay Gatsby’s life. That makes Jay Gatsby the protagonist. So, to make it simple, who is the story about? Who would you call the main character? The character that comes to mind is usually the protagonist.
So, speaking of protagonists…how well do you actually know the books “everyone” has read (or at least watched the movie version of)? Here’s how this works: I’ll give you the name of a main character, and you’ll try to match them to their famous book. Sound good? Let’s do this.
How’d you do? Drop your score in the comments! And since we’re talking about books “everyone’s read,” tell me: What’s your hidden gem? That one book that you’re distraught that not everyone has read? For me, it’s The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. The poetic prose of this novel is breathtaking, and although it’s a drama, it had me on the edge of my seat like a thriller. I’ve gifted it to almost everyone I know. I’m obsessed. So…what’s your Paper Palace book? Tell me in the comments.