Can a Protagonist consider not to do?

writing
#1

I am struggling to define the function of my MC: Protagonist, antagonist … ?

Here is my story:

(OS Learning, Preconditions) Before a group of students can leave school, they must prove their willingness to support the society in the future. To do so, the students are ask by the society/school to attend a one week military camp.

(MC Conscious, Doubt) The Main Character has no hope that the options the society is offering are really good for him. For example: To be allowed to study, he needs to do an extended military service before. So he refrains from it and wants to try his own way. However, in the first act, he is forced to attend the military camp. To avoid further trouble in the future he joins but …

And here is my question: If my MC is a protagonist or an antagonist?

The goal of the story is … (OS Learning) Everybody needs to learn in the camp how to fit in and play by the rules of the society.

The MC joins the camp (willing to learn?) but considers (stubborn) to make the best of it for himself (and not for the group).

The entire second act is about learning discipline and order what is sabotaged by the MC. For example: The MC teases a classmate who is now the commander of the group, he comes late to lessons, cracks jokes about stupid/funny military exercises … There is also a love story where the MC wins the girl the commander likes as well

(IC Present/Attempt) The Influence Character is an underdog and outsider in the group. He has joined the camp voluntary as he needs it to advance with his career ambitions.

(RS Conceiving, Deficiency) MC and IC clash offer their different views about the purpose of the the camp and the lack of real options in life/society. The MC sees no options, just following rules. The IC follows orders to profit from it to its own advantage

The story climax when the MC makes a mistake which leads to a fight with the Commander where at the end the Influence Character dies.

To avoid being sent to prison the School/Society will cover-up the tragedy if the MC signs for an extended military service.

The argument is (Change, Success, Bad): While tragic for the individual, you can still have an option by reevaluating your own goals

Thanks for your comments.

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#2

In response to the question in the title, ‘can a protagonist consider not to do?’, if it is in pursuit of the goal, then yes. If the goal is to save the city from the villain, the hero might well ask ‘would you consider not setting off a bomb?’ But, you know, hopefully with better dialogue than that.

Is your MC player for or against this goal? Sounds like maybe he’s against it.

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#3

He is against, he doesn’t want to learn the rules, he knows the rules, but don’t want to follow them. But he joins and attends, just to be against it, does this make him the Antagonist?

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#4

Does he feel like it’s fine for others but just isn’t for him? Or is he against the whole system?

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#5

He knows the systems sucks but there is nothing he really can or will do about it. He learnt already that the systems only makes a difference between good and bad people. You are either a supporter of the system or you become an enemy. In that sense he is not a Hero. So he more feels, that’s not something for me - he doesn’t care a lot about the others, he is just upset/annoyed because of their obidence or willingness to follow

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#6

So he’s not getting others to avoid or reconsider, then. Sounds like maybe he personally is avoiding, but I’m not sure he’s reconsidering. He also sounds a bit skeptical.

Is there some authority figure pushing for everyone to go through the program? Someone in charge of the program, or someone that is trying to push your MC character to go to camp, or someone who stands to gain by having everyone learn from this camp?

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#7

It’s funny I was just thinking about this for my own story.

What is the initial driver/inequity of the story? What is the thing that the Story Goal needs to resolve? Is it just the fact that the MC shows up at military camp?

Also, if the Goal is Learning, the Consequence is Conceiving. So what is the illustration of Conceiving if the Goal is not achieved? From your arrangement, this looks like a Start story which means the Consequence is not already in play.

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#8

He avoids committing to the program even though he is sceptical he joins. Teacher let him reconsider later his action and let him choose: take the blame and responsibility or sign the paper

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#9

The initial driver is, that he learns about the program and is forced to join. Once he fits into the system the story is over

What is the thing that the Story Goal needs to resolve?

When he learns not to argue and starts buying-in to the ideology the goal is solved

Conceiving if the Goal is not achieved? From your arrangement, this looks like a Start story which means the Consequence is not already in play.

At the end He needs to come up with a new plan for his life. He signs has this is the only option left for him

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#10

So it sounds like you’ve got it right – the Goal (that all the characters are concerned with) is “training the next generation” and he is the Antagonist who is opposed to that.

Out of curiosity I looked up some of the stories in Learning with that arrangement and Lawrence of Arabia came up. The narrative argument Jim has for that one is “While tragic to the individual, you can learn what kind of a person you are by ceasing to refuse to accept the inevitable” which sounds similar to your story, except that the MC Issue is Reappraisal and his Problem is Nonacceptance.

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#11

I agree the MC sounds like the Antagonist. He maybe also has the Oppose element as well.

I agree with @Lakis that the Goal is about teaching/training all the students (not just the MC) in this system/ideology.

Similarly, the Consequence (if the MC had managed to mess up the training so badly that no one graduated) would be everyone needing to come up with a new idea/plan for their lives. So same as you suggested @Gernot except applied to all the characters. Of course this does not occur because it’s a Success.

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