The Original StorytellerSample

PROTAGONIST

BIG IDEA: A protagonist gives personality and focus to your story.

A sailor named Marlow narrates Joseph Conrad’s classic novel Heart of Darkness. In the book, Marlow captains a boat up the Congo River, into the heart of Africa. Along the journey, the boat’s crew hears rumors of an ivory trader named Mr. Kurtz.

Although he doesn’t appear until the end of the story, Kurtz’s presence is the main driving force for the other characters. Much of the book builds up to Kurtz’s introduction. He is referenced often and characterized without being present.

Kurtz is someone who operates outside of the law. In the African wild, He gained a cult following based on his renown. The natives worship him like a demi-god.

Despite this, Kurtz dies of jungle fever shortly after the narrator finds him. Most of Kurtz’s influence lives on through legends told by others.

Most protagonists are introduced closer to the beginning of the story. Kurtz is a rare exception. Another uncommon example of a protagonist’s delayed introduction is Jesus. He is the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior of Mankind, the King of Kings.

For this reason, Kurtz is an example of a Christ-like figure. Conrad likely developed Kurtz using Jesus as inspiration. And he’s not alone.

Think about any main character called a Chosen One or the answer to a prophesy. Everyone from Harry Potter to Neo in The Matrix owes their origin to Christ.

The Bible has plenty of major characters—Adam, Moses, Noah, Abraham, David and Joseph, to name a few. But there is a protagonist that all these people were pointing to—Jesus.

That’s how you can determine the true protagonist of any story. The entire narrative hinges on the influence of that character.

No story is complete without a protagonist—a more formal term for the main character. Compelling characters are what allow us to relate to a narrative. A strong main character provides a focal point for the story.

Without Jesus, the Bible is incomplete. Without His death and resurrection, the entire Biblical narrative is meaningless. Jesus’ life and sacrifice is what the entire rest of the story is building up to. His existence gives the story purpose.

PRAYER

God, thank You for making Jesus the main character of Your eternal story. His perfect life serves as a great example for us to follow. His character is one we can all strive to emulate.

Although Christ only appears in the New Testament of the Bible, we still have the benefit of knowing how His character impacts your narrative. Thank You for focusing Your story on Christ so we can focus our lives on Him, too. Amen. 

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