Hogarth as Protagonist

Rating: 8/10 (20 September 2008)

In The Iron Giant, I would argue that Hogarth is the protagonist of the film. Simply put, his enacted choices are what drive the plot and develop the overarching themehence the film's dictum, "Your choices make who you are." He is introduced to the viewer as an adventurous young boy who relishes at the chance of having a close friendship, even while at the cost of driving his hardworking mother bonkers (like when he chooses to befriend a squirrel).
His main objective is to satisfy his need for friendship. The inciting incident that leads him on this journey is when his television short circuits and interrupts his horror film. Committed to find the fiend who stole, or should we say, ate his antenna wire, Hogarth plunges into the forest and discovers the iron giant. When he makes the conscious choice to save the robots life after seeing him entangled in a web of electrical power lines, it is here, whether he realizes it or not, that his once balanced life becomes unbalanced. After all, to befriend the giant is to introduce a heavy weight, both physically and metaphorically, into his life; thus tipping the balancing scale. Hogarth, however, is up for the challenge. His thirst for friendship surpasses the weight of any obstacle that might thwart this desire of his.
Soon the giant begins to follow him where ever he goes. Hogarth is now faced with an enormous obstacleto hide the giant while protecting him from a paranoid government detective. One obstacle after the next, a special bond is created between Hogarth and the giant; one that truly exemplifies the meaning of the word 'friendship.' With Hogarth's continual choice to befriend the giant, the plot is further developed and the audience learns that the giant is much like Hogarth himselfone who has a soul that feels and thinks. This significant plot point may have never been revealed unless there was a character like Hogarth who extended an unprejudiced love towards the gianta love that seemed to lack in the rest of the city because of their fear of 'otherness.'
The audience also learns that the giant is a volitional being who can choose whether to be good like superman, or bad like Atomo. This is revealed, once again, because of Hogarth. With Hogarth's help, the giant learns not to act like a weapon of destruction, but rather as a friend to mankind. This idea is particularly emphasized at the crisis/climax of the film. As Hogarth had originally sacrificed the safety of his life when saving the giant, the giant now returns the favor at the end of the film by sacrificing his life to save both Hogarth and the rest of the city. This you could say is the film's meatball criticism: one who lays down his life for the life of his friend is truly a friend indeed. True friendship is found in sacrifice, not selfishness, be it ever great or small. Is Hogarth's objective obtained? I would say yes, for it is the robot's memory that will forever live in his mind as the best friend he ever had.