Keeping in line with the numerous posts about Marcus, I would like to ask the simple question: does a story's protagonist need to be relatable?
I feel that Marcus is the appropriate protagonist for this story. He is savvy with computers, a bit (perhaps quite) geeky, and is
given cause to take the actions he does. While some would simply wish
to get on with their lives after being detained by the DHS, others would
want some form of justice whether personal or for their friend (ie
Darryl). There seems to be a preoccupation with whether or not the reader would behave the same in similar circumstances. While an interesting question, I feel it is a bit irrelevant. The better issue is whether or not Marcus' actions make sense for the character as established by Doctorow.
I do not know how I would react if put in Marcus' situation. I assume I would be angry and quite paranoid. I think the more relevant question is: After seeing what Marcus has been through, what will you do? Not 'what would you do'.
For me, there has to be at least one relatable character in a body of media that you can relate to, sympathize with, and just generally project onto. In the Doctorow works, you kind of have to resort to tertiary characters, like Marcus's mom or Darryl.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a really good point that you've brought up. I definitely don't find Marcus relatable, per se, but I thought he was an enjoyable protagonist with his own flaws and virtues.
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