Reading Response #17

Andre Dubus' "The Fat Girl" was a fun read and good example of a limited-third piece. For such a short story, I was impressed how Dubus was able to fluidly shift through early childhood to the middle adulthood of the protagonist. Over this shift in time, the protagonist is transformed from an insecure child who is forced to sneak snacks to a loving mother secure and accepting of her body and eating habits. The complexity of Louise is a great guide of how to construct an interesting protagonist. The character has a struggle, and the reader is forced to feel that struggle. Following Dubus' template for a protagonist, maybe I can make a story worth reading.