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Is Your Protagonist on the Last Page?
Posted on November 26th, 2009 7 commentsLast night at book club, a member said, “I always read the first chapter, then the last page.” We all gasped, of course, and leaned a little further away from her. She explained, “I want to make sure the protagonist is still around at the end of the story. I’ve been burned a few times. I don’t have the time to invest in a book where the protagonist isn’t still around in the end.”
It makes sense, actually. One of the biggest complaints about Michael Ondaatje’s Divisadero in my other book club was the fact that we were introduced to a group of characters and their conflicts early on in the story and then ‘blam,’ we’re off on other adventures and some of those conflicts were left unresolved. Those characters were not on the last page, so to speak.
So the question is, what do you think? Do you have your protagonist on the last page? If not, what are your reasons?
In case you are curious, my protagonist is always on the last page of all my stories. Right there, tied up with a nice little bow and her happy Disney-ending rainbow. (Only, not quite that cheesy, as I don’t want to make my readers barf all over the book.)
All the more reason not to make your reader barf.writing:characters/characterization disappointing endings, last page, main characters, protagonists, reading the last page, writing, writing the last page7 responses to “Is Your Protagonist on the Last Page?”
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I agree completely. There’s been some discussion of this over on my blog. Some people shun books labeled “literary” because they fear an incomplete or non-ending.
A novel is a hero’s journey. One hero; one journey–no matter how many secondary characters or diversions may appear.
And a hero’s journey needs a beginning, a middle and an end. Otherwise, it’s not a novel. A long prose poem, perhaps, but not a novel. I think most of us feel cheated if something is presented as one thing and it’s another.
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Good point, though it isn’t always terrible if the lead character doesn’t make it to the end. If he does, you should definitely be there with him as the story closes.
Also, is that a PostSecret post card? Nice.
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I suppose that may have been her concern, that there would be no ‘real’ ending and that the journey would not be completed. In a way though, it is as though she is unable to trust the writer.
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I’ve been trying to think of another example of a story that doesn’t come back to the main character at the end. Even ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ has the dead being mentioned or somehow involved in the ‘the wrap up bow at the end’ of the story. And you are right, sometimes they don’t make it to the end–and it if it works, it works.
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Reading the last page? Seriously??? It’s like watching a tennis match when I already know who the winner is! Couldn’t do it… but I agree. I want my protags to be around – and happy! Sign me up for those happy endings
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Jemi: Yeah, it’s like someone telling you the end of a suspenseful movie. There is no way it can be the same after you know the ending. I suppose agents must feel like this sometimes–you know, reading the synopsis before they read the manuscript. I’d think it would tamper with the true feelings of a first read.
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There’s a bit of a discussion going on about reading the last page before you get to it as well as whether other writers have their protagonist on the last page of their written stories.
Enjoy!
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Welcome to my Website and Blog
I am an aspiring fiction writer (children's, women's and commercial) and an agented nonfiction writer. I am also a member, critiquer and site moderator over on AgentQueryConnect.com. And, I also blog with other fabulous writers at all stages of the writing game on From The Write Angle.
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annerallen November 26th, 2009 at 10:10