Is Grant a good protagonist

Leen282 · Post by **Leen282** » 09 Jul 2020, 12:48

FGBaker1897 wrote: ↑07 Jul 2020, 16:52 Just a few notes about Grant:

How many of us know someone who is academically very intelligent but who has less street smarts than they do academic smarts. That is one of Grant's flaws.

Also remember, (and I tried to make it clear in the story) that Zona was a place that was heavily influenced by the vegetative life. The air was imbued with pollen and plant hormones that affected all of the travelers as well as residents. That was what made them all change their behaviors to some degree-Grant a great deal and even Volkov to a lesser amount. That was also the sexual driver that sent many of our travelers spinning out of control romantically (well sexually, at least.)

The science of how new plant hormones would potentially change behaviors is based on the real world in which we already substitute plant based hormones and drugs for their beneficial effects in human physiology. An example is the use of bio-identical plant compounds for human hormone replacement therapies.

What would happen if we found new plants that exuded new and active bio-identical pheromones?

Fred Baker

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I find it interesting to learn about the author's point of view.

nanglada · Post by **nanglada** » 09 Jul 2020, 19:31

The_Vivian wrote: ↑01 Jul 2020, 16:03 I think he is a good person who had flaws. But that's what shows the humanity in him because at the end of the day as humans we all have our weaknesses but they do not define us. His character was captivating till the end.

I completely agree! A perfect character, especially if it is the main character, is always boring and not at all believable.

angela roura · Post by **angela roura** » 09 Jul 2020, 22:53

In my opinion, the best books don't necessarily have the a perfect protagonist. It makes the character seem more human when they have considerable flaws. Grant was a good portrayal of a human who makes countless mistakes.

Julehart1 · Post by **Julehart1** » 10 Jul 2020, 03:23

I thought that Grant was a pretty good protagonist. He wasn’t perfect and changed over the course of the book. He had a decent character arc, and was overall a well-developed character. He obviously had his flaws which made him more realistic.

shynmr · Post by **shynmr** » 10 Jul 2020, 07:44

I think Grant's foibles just humanize him. Letting list take the helm is a human character flaw, to be sure, but that doesn't make him a bad protagonist. He certainly isn't the strong infallible type, but he has his moral compass set in some ways, which is redeeming. All that is to say, I don't think Grant is a perfect protagonist, but I think he is a good one.

InventorT · Post by **InventorT** » 10 Jul 2020, 09:21

He is a good protagonist. Without him, the book wouldn’t be same

NellyDee29 · Post by **NellyDee29** » 10 Jul 2020, 09:30

I think Grant is a good protagonist. Even though he had his weaknesses, he was able to dedicate himself to finding his missing uncle.

Tan TR · Post by **Tan TR** » 10 Jul 2020, 09:59

Grant started off as a good and cautious person, however he was very straightforward. But then as the story progressed, I found him to be very superficial. It doesn’t have to do with anything that he did, but maybe the story would have been better if Grant had been portrayed as a more multidimensional character.

Harty Muli · Post by **Harty Muli** » 10 Jul 2020, 10:11

Grant is a necessary character though flawed due to his indiscriminate sex which present him as a poor decision maker.

Twylla · Post by **Twylla** » 10 Jul 2020, 10:22

The author never provided a physical description of Grant. If he looked like James Bond, I would find this story more believable. Dr. Grant Taylor was a bumbling absent-minded professor, not someone I would expect to see on an expedition to one of the harshest environments on planet earth. I think it was irresponsible for Grant to not read the entire journal from the first expedition to Zona cover-to-cover and discuss it with Colonel Max Volcov BEFORE going back. There were too many secrets. Everyone who agreed to go back to Zona should have known everything that Max Volcov and Boris Ustinov knew.

mariya1214 · Post by **mariya1214** » 10 Jul 2020, 11:59

I think that when the protagonist of the story is flawed they are more relatable to readers', I believe that his character flaws are important to the plot and how the story moves forward

Marxell · Post by **Marxell** » 10 Jul 2020, 13:00

Yes he is a good protagonist. I like the fact that he is a human, because for me it made the story more realistic even though he was kind of a weak one, but everyone has flaws, good ones and bad ones.

Miraphery · Post by **Miraphery** » 10 Jul 2020, 15:38

I believe he is a good protagonist. Just like all humans, he was not perfect and that made it easier to relate to him.

Jorge Leon Salazar · Post by **Jorge Leon Salazar** » 10 Jul 2020, 18:24

I definitely think so. The story revolves around him. He did the right thing by trying to clear up his uncle's disappearance. He could have sold the goods he inherited and then go away. However, he launched into the adventure of the expedition.

Rodel Barnachea · Post by **Rodel Barnachea** » 11 Jul 2020, 01:15

I think he's a good protagonist. Just like what you said, he is dedicated to searching for his uncle and is brave enough to take on an expedition to an unexplored site. I hated the sexual part of the plot and side of Grant's character, but I think it's an important flaw for the book.