Prairie vs. Zoyd as Protagonist of Vineland

[Dave Williams]

There are lots of American Romances with co-protagonists, even with apparent protagonists that seemingly disappear or become ghosts or who are ghosts or who are perceived/conceived as ghosts and are transformed into real people. Three good example of the last are Pearl, Hester Pryn's daughter (SL), Beloved (Beloved), Boo Radley (To Kill a Mockingbird). Thanatoids are not exactly new to American Romance, either. Back to the co-protagonists, we have one Ishmael, who is the protagonist and narrator of the Comedy, M-D. Of course, when he disappears, and Ahab takes over as protagonist in the Tragedy, M-D, Melville, after holding Ahab off stage, turns the ship-of-fools into a stage, and sailors from round the world (Shakespeare's all the world's a ship and men but sailors on it) sing and dance and fight. Then, Pip (the most important figures in M-D are the blacks (and Pip is the Hero who can not save the sailors for they will not hear his madness) shutters
 with fear of men who fear not the white god aloft and will soon be in league with Satan-Ahab. But, all is not lost as Ishmael is Saved. Who was saved? Saved by whom is the question? One could, as I have, argue that Moby Dick (not the book, aka _The Whale_, but the whale) is the protagonist.