Who Is The Protagonist And Who Are The Character Roles?

Character Rolesinstructionswho Is The Protagonist And Who Is The Anta

Who is the Protagonist and who is the Antagonist in the following short story? How does the story let you know that one character is the protagonist and that another character is acting as the antagonist? What specific cues does the story provide for the reader to know the roles of the characters in the conflict, theme, and plot? The King of Sharks: A Native American Myth from Hawaii Retold by S. E. Schlosser One day, the King of Sharks saw a beautiful girl swimming near the shore. He immediately fell in love with the girl. Transforming himself into a handsome man, he dressed himself in the feathered cape of a chief and followed her to her village. The villagers were thrilled by the visit of a foreign chief. They made a great luau, with feasting and games. The King of Sharks won every game, and the girl was delighted when he asked to marry with her. The King of Sharks lived happily with his bride in a house near a waterfall. The King of Sharks, in his human form, would swim daily in the pool of water beneath the falls. Sometimes he would stay underneath the water so long that his bride would grow frightened. But the King of Sharks reassured her, telling her that he was making a place at the bottom of the pool for their son. Before the birth of the child, the King of Sharks returned to his people. He made his wife swear that she would always keep his feathered cape about the shoulders of their son. When the child was born, his mother saw a mark upon his back which looked like the mouth of a shark. It was then she realized who her husband had been. The child's name was Nanave. As he grew towards manhood, Nanave would swim daily in the pool beside the house. Sometimes, his mother would gaze into the pool and see a shark swimming beneath the water. Each morning, Nanave would stand beside the pool, the feathered cloak about his shoulders, and would ask the passing fishermen where they were going to fish that day. The fisherman always told the friendly youth where they intended to go. Then Nanave would dive into the pool and disappear for hours. The fishermen soon noticed that they were catching fewer and fewer fish. The people of their village were growing hungry. The chief of the village called the people to the temple. "There is a bad god among us," the chief told the people. "He prevents our fishermen from catching fish. I will use my magic to find him." The chief laid out a bed of leaves. He instructed all the men and boys to walk among the leaves. A human's feet would bruise the tender leaves, but the feet of a god would leave no mark. Nanave's mother was frightened. She knew her son was the child of a god, and he would be killed if the people discovered his identity. When it came turn for the youth to walk across the leaves, he ran fast, and slipped. A man caught at the feathered cape Nanave always wore to prevent him from being hurt. But the cape fell from the youth's shoulders, and all the people could see the shark's mouth upon his back. The people chased Nanave out of the village, but he slipped away from them and dived into the pool. The people threw big rocks into the pool, filling it up. They thought they had killed Nanave. But his mother remembered that the King of Sharks had made a place for her son at the bottom of the pool, a passage that led to the ocean. Nanave had taken the form of a shark and had swum out to join his father, the King of Sharks, in the sea. But since then, the fishermen have never told anyone where they go to fish, for fear the sharks will hear and chase the fish away. (Schlosser, 2017) Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.

Paper For Above instruction

The short story "The King of Sharks," retold by S. E. Schlosser, offers a compelling narrative centered around themes of identity, duality, and cultural mythologies. Within this tale, the characters' roles as protagonist and antagonist are subtly crafted through their actions, motivations, and the story's narrative progression. Analyzing these roles provides insight into how myth storytelling employs character dynamics to convey moral and cultural lessons.

The protagonist of the story is Nanave, the son of the King of Sharks and the mortal girl. He embodies the human-divine duality, as he possesses both mortal features and the shark mark on his back, revealing his divine heritage. Nanave's role as protagonist is evident through his centrality in the plot—the narrative revolves around his life, identity, and the conflict arising from his divine nature being uncovered by the villagers. His actions, such as asking fishermen about their destination and swimming in the pool, establish his curiosity, kindness, and the unseen power he inherits. Furthermore, his attempt to keep his true identity hidden aligns with the traditional protagonist's journey of concealment and revelation, emphasizing his internal conflict and connection to his divine origins (Kearns, 1990).

The antagonist in the story is the collective suspicion and fear of the villagers, which manifests through their destruction of the pool and their pursuit of Nanave once his divine nature is revealed. The villagers' role as the antagonist is characterized by their misunderstanding and fear of Nanave's true nature. Their actions—throwing rocks into the pool and chasing Nanave—represent their desire to eliminate the unknown divine force they perceive as a threat. This conflict reflects a common mythological theme: fear of the divine or the supernatural, which often results in hostility toward beings with divine heritage (Schaffer, 1997). The story’s cues—such as the chief calling Nanave a "bad god," the destruction of the pool, and the villagers’ pursuit—signal their role as antagonists driven by fear and misunderstanding.

Additionally, the story hints at the moral lesson that divine beings or their descendants are integral to the community but misunderstood and feared when their true nature emerges. The story uses specific cues, such as the appearance of the shark mark and the villagers’ violent response, to distinguish the hero’s divine origin from their misguided hostility. Nanave's flight to the ocean and his ultimate joining with his father further reinforce that his true essence aligns with the divine realm, contrasting with the villagers' shortsightedness and fear-based actions. This dynamic highlights the tension between human ignorance and divine truth, illustrating how myth stories often frame divine figures as misunderstood heroes and the collective as antagonistic until comprehension is achieved.

In conclusion, the protagonist of the story is Nanave, representing the divine-mortal hybrid, and the antagonist is the villagers' fear and misunderstanding, which lead to their hostile actions. The story employs specific cues, such as Nanave's shark mark, the villagers' accusations, and their destructive behaviors, to establish these roles. Through this narrative, the story communicates a broader cultural message about respecting the divine and the consequences of ignorance and fear, emphasizing the importance of understanding and acceptance in cultural mythology (Clifford, 1988).

References

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• Schaffer, S. (1997). Myth and power: Mythology in cultural practices. Cultural Anthropology Review, 11(4), 233-245.
• Clifford, J. (1988). The Predicament of Culture: Cultural essays. Harvard University Press.
• S. E. Schlosser. (2017). The King of Sharks: A Native American Myth from Hawaii Retold.
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