# Let's name & discuss stories in which the title character is not the protagonist. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 18, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924 "2010-03-18T19:25:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/21 "2010-03-18T20:33:12Z")
Would _All The President’s Men_ count? The protagonists are Woodward and Bernstein, who are NOT the president’s men. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/22 "2010-03-18T20:33:32Z")
Dead bodies usually aren’t considered protagonists: _Weekend at Bernie’s The Trouble With Harry_ Would you consider Elliot or ET to be the protagonist of\* E.T.:The Extraterrestrial\*? Personally I’d go with Elliot. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/23 "2010-03-18T20:47:19Z")
The Spy Who Loved Me (novel) refers to James Bond, who doesn’t even show up until two thirds of the way through the book. It’s not clear who the movie title refers to. Goldfinger and TMWTGG are antagonists. Octopussy isn’t the protagonist either. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/24 "2010-03-18T20:48:58Z")
The Hound Of The Baskervilles ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/25 "2010-03-18T21:00:49Z")
Although I never made it through the book, I’m pretty sure _The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman_ is mostly about everything but the title character and narrator’s life. Quite a bit of it is about his conception and birth, but not his life. I don’t think the book has a real protagonist at all. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/26 "2010-03-18T21:04:29Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > Although I never made it through the book, I’m pretty sure _The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman_ is mostly about everything but the title character and narrator’s life. Quite a bit of it is about his conception and birth, but not his life. I don’t think the book has a real protagonist at all. Well, he tried, but given the plan of one volume per day of the protagonist’s (and narrator’s) life, Mr Shandy was not going to get very far. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/27 "2010-03-18T21:08:45Z")
**Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia** ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/28 "2010-03-18T21:09:04Z")
The Indian in the Cupboard. The main character is Omri. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/29 "2010-03-18T21:28:47Z")
**Dracula** , the novel. The character is talked about, but after the first part of Jonathan Harker’s letters (journal? been a while sisnce I read it) is rarely seen. Given the format, hard to say who the protaganist is. ---
**Author:** ![kingbighair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kingbighair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingbighair)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/30 "2010-03-18T21:31:11Z")
I think Ben Stiller was the main character in **There’s Something About Mary**. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/31 "2010-03-18T21:34:02Z")
> [@h.sapiens](#): > > Although I never made it through the book, I’m pretty sure _The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman_ is mostly about everything but the title character and narrator’s life. Quite a bit of it is about his conception and birth, but not his life. I don’t think the book has a real protagonist at all. isn’t Uncle Toby the protagonist? It’s been a while since I read it. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/32 "2010-03-18T21:38:40Z")
**I Love You, Alice B Toklas!** ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/33 "2010-03-18T21:40:42Z")
Tons of mysteries - _The Murder of Roger Ackroyd_ is, of course, not too much about Roger Ackroyd, as he spends much of the book murdered. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/34 "2010-03-18T21:51:04Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > **I Love You, Alice B Toklas!** I’d not count that myself. If I recall aright, there is no character named Alice B. Toklas in that film. To reiterate: I’m looking for stories in which one of the characters’ is mentioned by name in the title, yet that character is not the main character. Stories in which a proper name is part of the title, but no one of that name figures in the story, are not what I seek. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/35 "2010-03-18T22:27:09Z")
How about the Great Gatsby? It’s been a little while, but I think I would say Nick is the protagonist. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/36 "2010-03-18T22:30:13Z")
**Jewel of the Nile**. And, yes, it qualifies under the OP. **The Third Man**. Holly Martins is the protagonist, but Harry Lime is the title character. **Les Enfants du Paradis**. – the title characters are the theater audience, but the film is about the actors. **Prizzi’s Honor** – Prizzi is not the protagonist. **Eating Raoul** – should be obvious **Tea with Mussolini** – Mussolini only has a bit part **The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari** **To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar** – no Wong Fu, no Julie Newmar, though they are referred to in the story. **Bend it like Beckham** – he does show up in a cameo. **Bride of Frankenstein** – no matter who you think the title refers to, she’s not the protagonist. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/37 "2010-03-18T22:30:47Z")
I was thinking of that, too, **chrisk**. But I wasn’t sure if Nick counted as the protagonist since he spent so much time talking about Gatsby. **RealityChuck** , I agree that Julie Newmar isn’t the protagonist, but she does appear in the film. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/38 "2010-03-18T22:39:52Z")
There was an old TV show [The Millionaire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Millionaire) where the man behind the scenes, John Beresford Tipton, dealt through a middleman, Michael Anthony, to give a tax-free million to some hapless schlub to see how sudden wealth would tamper with that person’s sense of self. It must be said that Anthony was the main character of the series since he was on camera most, and that “The Millionaire” was the donee of the week. And since Tipton was stinking rich, he surely wasn’t just your garden variety millionaire. All I could think of and it’s pretty weak. ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/39 "2010-03-18T22:49:51Z")
Would the Michael Ellis episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus count? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924/40 "2010-03-18T22:55:38Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > **Jewel of the Nile**. And, yes, it qualifies under the OP. > **The Third Man**. Holly Martins is the protagonist, but Harry Lime is the title character. > **Les Enfants du Paradis**. – the title characters are the theater audience, but the film is about the actors. > **Prizzi’s Honor** – Prizzi is not the protagonist. > **Eating Raoul** – should be obvious > **Tea with Mussolini** – Mussolini only has a bit part > **The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari** > **To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar** – no Wong Fu, no Julie Newmar, though they are referred to in the story. > **Bend it like Beckham** – he does show up in a cameo. > **Bride of Frankenstein** – no matter who you think the title refers to, she’s not the protagonist. Actually, Julie Newmar shows up at the very end in a cameo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-discuss-stories-in-which-the-title-character-is-not-the-protagonist/532924.md?page=3)