The protagonist of, “So I Ain’t No Good Girl’ by Sharon Flake is a good example of how unlikeable characters can still be well-written in literature. The story is about an emotionally weak high-school female who is in a toxic relationship with her abusive boyfriend. The main character deals with his semi-violent behavior and refuses to leave him. Poor decisions are made by the protagonist throughout the entire story, and her thoughts are off-putting as well as depressing. The author could’ve written the leading character in a way that does not irritate the reader. Flake developed the protagonist of the story to be pitiful, victimized and unhealthily desperate; this characterization effectively deters the reader from empathizing with her.
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An example of this comes from the quote, “I apologize just like my momma does when daddy hits her.” This quote shows us that the main character is weak and submissive, and that she does not stand up for herself when she has the opportunity. Another example of the main character making poor decisions comes from the quote, “Tonight, when I see him, I’m gonna…I’m gonna make him something nice to eat, I think. And act like I ain’t seen nothing at all.” This quote is significant because the protagonist thinks this right after she sees her significant other, Raheem, touching another girl. She makes the choice to ignore Raheem’s bad behavior, and instead rewards him with a nice dinner because of her low self-esteem. The main character made several choices such as these throughout the story, and it really shows how truly desperate she …show more content…
The quote that pretty much sums it up is, “And act like I ain’t seen nothing at all.” By ignoring her problems, the main character is essentially putting herself into a cycle that could have been easily avoided if she would have done something, anything, about the situation. This cycle is one of endless abuse by Raheem, and that is a very depressing way for Flake to end the story. We don’t even know if the leading character is going to eventually have a happy ending, because the story just cuts off. If the protagonist was more confident, strong, or aware of her surroundings, we might have gotten a better ending for the story. By having more assertive traits, the main character could leave Raheem, and create a better life for herself. That would’ve been a better ending for the
An example of this comes from the quote, “I apologize just like my momma does when daddy hits her.” This quote shows us that the main character is weak and submissive, and that she does not stand up for herself when she has the opportunity. Another example of the main character making poor decisions comes from the quote, “Tonight, when I see him, I’m gonna…I’m gonna make him something nice to eat, I think. And act like I ain’t seen nothing at all.” This quote is significant because the protagonist thinks this right after she sees her significant other, Raheem, touching another girl. She makes the choice to ignore Raheem’s bad behavior, and instead rewards him with a nice dinner because of her low self-esteem. The main character made several choices such as these throughout the story, and it really shows how truly desperate she …show more content…
The quote that pretty much sums it up is, “And act like I ain’t seen nothing at all.” By ignoring her problems, the main character is essentially putting herself into a cycle that could have been easily avoided if she would have done something, anything, about the situation. This cycle is one of endless abuse by Raheem, and that is a very depressing way for Flake to end the story. We don’t even know if the leading character is going to eventually have a happy ending, because the story just cuts off. If the protagonist was more confident, strong, or aware of her surroundings, we might have gotten a better ending for the story. By having more assertive traits, the main character could leave Raheem, and create a better life for herself. That would’ve been a better ending for the