In popular fictionurder mysteries and the like,ot is the most important
element.  However, in the literary short story, what happens in the story is driven by
character.   To put it simply, the main character, the protagonist, runs into some kind of
conflict as the result of encountering an antagonist (whether a person/people or an
internal conflict which can be considered antagonistic), and this conflict gives rise to a
significant event or moment that changes the protagonistàlife in some way. As discussed
in the literary terms review (under Lecture Notes), the significant part of the character arc
is how the protagonist changes from the beginning of the story to the end. These changes
can be dramatic or subtle and can range from changes within himself/herself and/or how
the character views the world or others.  

For this essay, you will choose a main character from one of the stories discussed in the discussion boards and examine
how this process works:  Your paper will analyze the way this particular character
functions in the story by tracing his/her character arc.  What do we initially know about  
the character, and how do plot events change him/her and bring about an epiphany for the
character ultimately resulting in change by the storyàend.