Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Protagonist: Eleanor

Always remember the number one rule for identifying a protagonist: a hero does not a protagonist make. In other words, Eleanor doesn't need to come crashing through windows with a knife clenched between her teeth, proton pack blazing, ready to kick some spectral butt. We're not saying we wouldn't read that book; we're just saying it's not this one.

Eleanor is the protagonist because her conflict with the antagonist is the main driving force of the novel's plot. This conflict drives the tension and character development, and when it reaches its conclusion, the story basically ends. Ah, but who is this antagonist of which we speak? That answer is a little more difficult to pin down.