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Q&A Does the reader need to like the PoV character?

An example of an interesting story with an unlikeable/unsympathetic POV character is The Stranger, by Albert Camus. The POV character (Meursault) is fairly detached from the action - there's no emo...

posted 6y ago by Evil Sparrow‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-14T20:45:27Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/43850
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T11:27:09Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/43850
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T11:27:09Z (about 5 years ago)
An example of an interesting story with an unlikeable/unsympathetic POV character is _The Stranger_, by Albert Camus. The POV character (Meursault) is fairly detached from the action - there's no emotion there. There's nothing for the reader to relate _to_. He just bounces from one situation to another, apparently feeling nothing.

The book starts with Meursault attending his mother's funeral. He doesn't show any sign of grief, or any emotion at all. He doesn't even know how old she was. Just "I'm tired and my legs are cramping." He goes on to commit a pointless murder - again, no emotion.

Which makes his trial interesting - he's basically convicted for being unsympathetic, rather than for having committed murder.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2019-03-21T10:42:29Z (almost 6 years ago)
Original score: 3