e115. Why Do We Love Minor Characters?

Every story (well most stories) have a protagonist that we follow throughout the narrative. Usually we are meant to identify with them; they are our link to the plot and the world of the story. Typically, their worlds are fleshed out by any number of supporting characters that they interact with: friends, lovers, enemies. These characters are often just as interesting as the protagonist and often… if the you look at the story the right way, could be considered the protagonist in their own right. And then… then there are the others… minor characters, who aren’t necessarily fully realized, but are purely designed to flesh out the world. And yet, sometimes we love these characters. Sometimes, they become so beloved that they become bigger parts of the story than they were ever intended to be. Sometimes they can even replace the original protagonist. Other times, they don’t. They may stay minor characters and yet we love them anyway. On today’s episode, Wayne, Hannah and Mav welcome back returning guests Nicole Freim and Meron Langsner to discuss the concept of minor characters, how they become popular and why we identify with them as readers or viewers. Give it a listen and let us know your thoughts. Citations and Links: * This episode’s Call for Comments* The Theory of the Novel by George Lukacs* “An Antelope From The Lion King Wonders Why He Was Invited to the Celebration of Simba’s Birth” by Fabian Lapham * Thank you to Maximilian’s thoughtForm Music for our theme* Listen to Meron’s audio drama podcast, Slippery Slope* Follow Meron on Twitter: @meronlangsner* Follow Nicole Freim on Twitter: @NFreim* Follow Hannah on Twitter: @hannahleerogers* Follow Mav on Twitter: @chrismaverick* Follow Wayne on Instagram: @tetroc2017* Follow Mav’s Personal Blog: http://chrismaverick.com* Follow Wayne’s Personal Blog: http://wayne-wise.com * Follow us on Twitter: @voxpopcast* Follow us on Instagram: @voxpopcast* Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/voxpopcast* Subscribe to our new YouTube channel* Make sure you subscribe on Apple Podca...