A Comparative Analysis on the Course to Self-realization of the Essay

A Comparative Analysis on the Course to Self-realization of the Protagonists in Emma, Huckleberry Finn, and My Name is Asher Lev - Essay Example ive description on the role of a protagonist in novels is achievable by using three coming-of-age novels such as â€Å"Emma† by Jane Austen, â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain, and â€Å"My Name is Asher Lev† by Chaim Potok as examples. These novels and their main characters each possess distinct storylines and traits. For instance, Emma Woodhouse in Austen’s novel is a wealthy woman from the Victorian era while Huckleberry Finn is a young man belonging to the lower echelons of the society. Asher Lev, on the other hand, traces his ancestry to conservative Jews. The novels exhibit different types of protagonists from the underprivileged boy depicted in the main character of Mark Twain’s novel to the affluent but immature woman in Austen’s â€Å"Emma†. To be more specific, Austen (1882) described Emma Woodhouse as a woman who has, â€Å"†¦power of having rather too much of her own way, and a disposition to thin k a little too well of herself:† (p. 1-2). Whereas Huck Finn’s character can be deciphered in Twain’s (2001) account stating, â€Å"The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize [sic] me;†¦and so when I couldnt stand it no longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied.† (p. 1-2) Conversely, Potok’s (2003) indicates Asher Lev’s nature: â€Å"I am an observant Jew. Yes, of course, observant Jews do not paint crucifixions. As a matter of fact, observant Jews do not paint at all—in the way that I am painting.† (p. 3) Readers immediately perceive the differences on the growth of each protagonist in the three novels, which are affected by the literary elements of each novel.