Who do you think is the real protagonist of the story?

In your view, who do you think is the real protagonist of the story?

Woody, in giving his first person account.

Woody is the protagonist of the book as he faces the most obstacles and drives most of the action with his choices. However, I can definitely visualize an ensemble series or movie with the strong supporting characters of Red, and the "Old Man" and of course, the two giraffes who are integral to the tale.

I think Woody is the main protagonist. He is the narrator of the story and the reader sees everything that unfolds through his eyes. He is the character who changes who he is because of his experiences. He undergoes a profound change from someone who is only motivated by what they can get out of a situation to someone who makes choices because it helps others and is the right thing to do.

Woody is the narrator, the character we learn the most about, the one we are rooting for. I would love to say it’s the giraffes but that’s just for fun!

Woody is both the narrator and the main character plus the story revolves around him and is relationships with the other characters and his growth into a more mature and caring person.

The real protagonist is young Woody. The narrator Woody is a different person after so many years and so much time to reflect on young Woody's actions and their consequences. Woody changed over the course of the novel.
Wouldn't it be interesting to have a chapter (perhaps a sidebar short story) written from the perspective of one of the giraffes?

I agree with ABeman about the young Woody. The elderly Woody has had much time to reflect on the trip. Young Woody certainly made the most of the trip and took good care of the two giraffes. Even when he was tempted to betray the Old Man, he did not follow through.

As tempting as it is to go with Woody, I'm going with Red instead. I feel like once Red shows up on the scene, Woody's behavior and thoughts are influenced by Red's actions and words. He experiences all types of emotions: infatuation, curiosity, concern, anger, and resentment. But in the end, his "love" for her keeps him from staying at the zoo with Old Man when they finally arrive at the zoo. It causes him to reluctantly steal again. And after his army stints, he still can't get past wondering about her so he searches for her. At the end, not being able to reunite with her, he does the next best thing and spends the remainder of his life writing her story and sharing it with her daughter.

Joyce, I might just have started crying again reading your post! Red was Woody’s heart and taught him just as much, if not more than the giraffes!

But I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that in addition to being fun, the giraffes actually are protagonists in the story. They really were the emotional heart of it. Their journey drove the action. Without them, we wouldn’t have had Woody-or Red-or the Old Man. Not only did they have a profound impact on the characters listed above, but also on an entire nation!

I believe that Woody was the story narrator, but the real protagonists were Girl and Boy. They were the reason for the story/

I also think the real protagonists are the giraffes. After all, none of the characters would otherwise "exist" to us readers, if not for them.

I think the real protagonists of the story are Boy and Girl, the two giraffes. Woody, Red and the Old Man had very strong supporting roles but were driving the action because of the giraffes.

Protagonists are not just characters who drive the story, which is a funny way to describe this story's protagonist because Woody is literally driving the giraffes. But a protagonist also changes. They make choices and are changed by the repercussions of those choices. We don't know what choices the giraffes are making. We know Woody's choices and how this journey driving the giraffes has changed him.
The clue to who the protagonist is, it's implied in the title. Who went west with giraffes? Who was changed from that experience?

Definitely, the giraffes.

Woody, who is the narrator and the best developed character.

Thank you ABerman. I agree totally with your last comment about the protagonist. While it’s true that there is no story without the giraffes, they are not the ones who grow from their experiences. Woody, the young man, and even Woody, the 105 year old, show growth in understanding themselves and the world around them.

You know it's a great discussion question when you have such a diversity of responses from the various readers! Love it! Although I believe young Woody was the real protagonist here for all the reasons stated, the responses supporting Red or Boy & Girl further enhanced my appreciation for their roles in the story.

I rarely think of how a book that I have read could be turned into a movie or a television series. However, for this particular book, that thought came to my mind a few times, as each of the main characters (of course that includes the giraffes!) have so much to contribute. I also wouldn't mind seeing the author write something with Old Man as the lead. I have a feeling he has quite a few stories to tell!

It doesn't look like anyone else has my first choice as the protagonist--the elder version of Woody. Thank you ABeman--that was a great observation. This story, however, is a retelling of Woody's life, as he looks back on it (not, for instance, as if someone found contemporaneous diary entries). His entire life was shaped as a result of the journey west and his love of Red, and I think his telling of the story is different now than if he had written it at the time he lived it.

This is by far my favorite discussion question for this book. I agree with tsquared that reading everyone else's responses made me like the book even more! I can't wait for the movie. Acstrine, thanks for confirming that I wasn't the only one that cried at times while reading this book. There were also many laugh-out-loud moments too.

I have to go with Woody, although I'd love to say Boy and Girl. The protagonist is the one who takes the leading role in the story and that would be Woody. It is his story to tell from youth to old age. He is the character that truly grew and changed throughout the story.

Lots of great discussions and valid points for this question!! It was interesting to read them all!!

I agree with triciat50. The 105 year old Woody is my choice too. It was his telling of his story filled with love for Red, the giraffes, and even the Old Man as a gift to Red’s daughter.

Woody along with Girl and Boy are the protagonists in the book. Those are the characters that we (the readers) are rooting for!

I think Woody was the protagonist. I felt that he developed the most during the story as a result of his circumstances and the people around him. The story showed his struggles with his past and current decisions. Woody is my choice.

The giraffes were the true protagonists of the story; without them there would not have been a story. Those two were so special. Woody, the Old Man, and Red were "secondary" protagonists.

While Girl and Boy are the reason for the story, Woody is my choice for protagonist because he can tell the story.