Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Saleem

He's the undisputed protagonist. He's the narrator, the reason why all the stories are told, and too selfish to let anyone else hog the limelight anyway. We don't really know much about anyone else's emotions, except when Saleem goes into their thoughts, so we're kind of stuck with him for the whole wild ride. Maybe Saleem says it best, "From ayah to Widow, I've been the sort of person to whom things have been done; but Saleem Sinai, perennial victim, persists in seeing himself as protagonist" (2.17.1).