: Re: Does the main character have to be likable? I am often hearing / reading that the main character of your story should be likable or even if flawed should be something about them to get the

@Courtney562

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I recently read through the short story Trapalanda by Charles Sheffield. In the 25-page or so story, the main character is rather unlikeable. He is selfish, sexist, and jealous of another disabled character. These are all bad traits, but they, along with the premise, make the story interesting regardless.
What's more, over the course of the story, we learn why the main character is the way he is. And although these revelations don't change how we feel about who the character is, it does help justify why he is. And these revelations, coupled with the fact that the story is written from a first-person perspective, mean we grow to understand and relate to the main character even when we may not agree with his choices.
Finally, without going into too much detail, the main character does not really complete his journey. The story leaves off on a positive note, but putting some thought into what lies ahead of him makes it seem pretty futile that he will achieve his goals. That being said, there is a narrative arc, and we see the completion of the journey through the lens of the other characters in the story.
I think these points definitely prove that a main character can be unlikeable, especially at first, but over the course of the story, if we get hooked by the premise, learn to relate to the character, and see the completion of the journey, then it's still a good story. If you ask me if I enjoyed reading through Trapalanda, my answer is yes, even if I didn't like the main character.

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