Questions on The King of Sharks - Paper Example

Who is the Protagonist and who is the Antagonist in the following short story?

In the narrative, The King of Sharks, the King of Sharks is the protagonist while the antagonist is the chief of the village.

How does the story let you know that one character is the protagonist and that anotherIs character acting as the antagonist?

Schlosser (2017) creates the story around the King of Sharks. His love for his wife and the kid which force him to both transforms into a handsome man as well as dig a tunnel lining the pond and the ocean makes him the major character in the story. Similar to protagonists in any narrative, the King of Sharks is presented with above two challenging scenarios but each time rises above them. The chief of the village, on the other hand, is depicted as the force that acts against the King of Sharks. He assembles the villagers to avenge on the family of the King of Sharks (the protagonist).

What specific cues does the story provide for the reader to know the roles of the characters in the conflict, theme, and plot?

In the King of Sharks, the writer uses the characters through the decisions they make to exemplify the conflicts and actions (plot) which relate to the theme of the text. The King of the Sharks transforms into a handsome man to marry the beautiful lady (Schlosser, 2017). He leaves the pregnant lady and goes back to his own in the ocean (Schlosser, 2017). When the fishermen fail to catch fish, they decide to look out for the villain responsible for the menace. Nanave is found but he decides to disappear into the ocean through the tunnel his father had dug for him (Schlosser, 2017).

Why are the characters not easy to define as good and bad?

The characters are not easy to define as either good or bad because the circumstances they find themselves in force them to commit the wrong things for the right and humane reasons. For instance, the King of Sharks changes himself into a handsome man since he loved the woman (Schlosser, 2017). This ultimately helps him to win the woman who he goes ahead and marries. On the other hand, the King of Sharks with the knowledge of who his son was, digs a tunnel that links the pond to the ocean as an escape route to save his (sons) life (Schlosser, 2017). Additionally, the villagers in a bid to put an end to the hunger that was almost killing them try to kill Nanave (Schlosser, 2017); (all wrong acts for the humane reasons).

What cues does the author provide for the reader to decide individually about the meaning and moral of the story?

Through the consequences the characters undergo, Schlosser (2017) enables the reader to get the moral and meaning of the story. For instance, the beautiful lady realizes that she was duped by the King of Sharks making the reader to realize that all that glitters is not gold. Further, by the villagers coming together to get the villain (bad god) and later making it disappear, the writer tries to bring out the fact humans dominate nature and also that good will always win no matter the circumstance, bad does not.

Reference

Schlosser, S. E., (2017). Native American myths: The king of the sharks. Retrieved fromamericanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/08/the_king_of_sharks.html