There are two very important characters in every novel: the main character and his/her essential counterpart. During the course of the novel, the relationship between these two characters inevitably changes. It is therefore important to choose the two characters very wisely. It is important for you to realize that the term ‘main character’ is quite imprecise. This character is the central figure in a story and his/her identity as the main character is determined by an amalgamation of several roles. This can give an author a wide range of directions in which he can take his story.
Let’s take the example of Huckleberry Finn. Huck could be considered as the central figure. He is the narrator in the story. The story is about his quest to find freedom from his tyrannical father. In that story, readers only see and hear what Huck tells them, but they have no way of knowing what other characters think. In this story, Huck is the Point Of View (POV) character, the narrator, and the protagonist. According to dramatic theory, Huck is the main character because he is the principle POV character. Having the main character play several roles is an effective way to tell the story; however, an author is free to choose the roles as he/she wishes.
When the narrator is not the main character
When an author chooses to have a narrator for his novel, the narrator is usually omniscient. The narrator knows everything happening in the story including the thoughts of all characters. However, the author can make another character the main character, even in the presence of an omniscient narrator.
Let’s take the example of the Harry Potter series. It is clear that Harry is the main character because readers only get to see and feel from his point of view. However, the story is told by a narrator but the narrator is not the main character. This separation is made by making the narrator speak from a third party point of view. The narrator therefore has no real identity in the story. The benefit of this setting is that there are some things that the narrator can know but even the main character (Harry) does not know.
Beyond the POV
Sometimes character narrators are more prominent but they are not the main characters. For instance, in a story about a war, a foot soldier can tell the story but the main character is the general. Traditionally, the protagonist (the general) was the one used to tell the story. However, many authors today separate the protagonist from the main POV character by telling the story using another character. In that case, the POV character has no bearing on the identification of the main character.
The protagonist’s significant counterpart
The protagonist is the most important character but his/her role is intertwined with the role of his main rival. This rival can be given varying titles including: the impact character, the obstacle character, or the influence character. This character is diametrically opposed to the protagonist and is vital for the story’s emotional appeal. Just as the author is free to choose the protagonist, he also has the freedom to choose the antagonist. However, it is important to choose the character that is most opposed to the main character to give the story a dramatic edge.
