Protagonist's Progressions the Novel, Since Essay

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.Finally, the plots of the novels themselves reveal the character's self-awareness more than anything else. It has already been noted that Emma's great discovery of her love of Mr. Knightley is a major revelation of her character, and in fact most of the novels plot points are not actually things happening, but Emma learning about things (Austen, 1815). This interiority is the final hurdle she needs to overcome in order to marry Knightley and live happily with those outside of herself. The opposite is true with Huck; his repeated encounters with people and the foolish and often hypocritical ways in which they live make up the entire plot of the novel, along with the overarching plot of helping Jim reach freedom, and he ultimately decides that "(Twain, 1885, p.). Asher Lev's plot combines elements from each of the other novels; the plot takes place largely in his head as he comes to certain self-realizations; most of the book is concerned with his growing relationship to art and how that affects those around him, and he makes a great sacrifice at the end by leaving his family (Potok, 1972). All three elements of narration, characterization, and plot combine to bring these characters to fulfillment.

References

Austen, J. (1815). Emma. New York: Bantam

Potok, C. (1972). My….....