THE UNLIKEABLE CHARACTER: Comeuppance, or Come Around?

“Make your main character likeable. Even if they are unlikeable, show something likeable about them.” This is common advice for writing a story with an unappealing protagonist. By showing the readers something redemptive, something sympathetic, the readers will root for them.
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But what if the main character is a bully? Readers don’t want to root for them. Readers want to see the consequences of their awful behavior. Will the bully get their comeuppance? Will they come around to a new, empathetic mindset?
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Let’s look at three stories whose main characters are bullies: YERTLE THE TURTLE by Dr. Seuss, BRING ME A ROCK! by Daniel Miyares, and LUNCH EVERY DAY by Kathryn Otoshi.

Yertle, king of the turtles, lives in a clean, warm pond, with plenty to eat. He has everything he  needs. But he wants more. Since he is the “ruler of all that I see,” he needs to see more. He needs a tall, tall throne.

Yertle commands the other turtles to stand on each other’s backs. He settles himself on top. He’s never satisfied, so this goes on and on. The turtles pile on and the tower grows.

Mack, the “plain little turtle” at the bottom, meekly wonders how long he and the others must stand there. He tells Yertle of their suffering. They’re in pain. They’re starving. Their shells will crack. But Yertle intends to rise higher than the moon. Lacking empathy, he remains unswayed, until…
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Mack burps. The “throne” trembles. Then, PLUNK! Yertle falls headfirst into the pond. From then on, he remains miserably stuck in the mud. The turtles he tormented are free!

This bully, a grasshopper, also is a king. Like Yertle, he is certain of his superiority, and he  demands service. At his command, the other bugs bring big rocks. When the smallest bug arrives with a “puny pebble,” he orders the “little bug” to go away.

The king has the large rocks stacked into a “majestic pedestal.” He lounges on top, relaxing with his drink. But the drink spills. The king slips. The tower wobbles, and he slides to the edge of the teetering top. “HELP!” he cries.

The tiny bug jams his little pebble into just the right spot. The tower is balanced.

The king comes around, at least a bit. “You saved my life! However can I repay you?” The little bug rearranges the rocks into towers of equal height. Now everyone, from the king to the runt, is on the same level.

We’re not told how the king feels about it.

My ‘Spotlights’ blog post “Empathy for the Bully” (Feb. 2025) discussed LUNCH EVERY DAY in detail. The main character is a surly, aggressive boy who repeatedly steals his classmate’s lunch. But the consequence that changes everything is not a downfall. It’s a lift-up.
 
As we follow the bullying boy, we discover that beneath his hard exterior is a sad child who is deprived, beaten, and hungry. He lacks food and love. He is convinced that he has no value, and he resents that the other kids’ lives are better than his. Their homes are better. Their lunches are better. He knocks them down, a show of strength meant to compensate for his own weakness.

The mother of the child he torments surprises him. Instead of punishing him, she promises to make him lunch, every day…and she does. Her kindness teaches him he does have value. He begins to believe in himself.

LUNCH EVERY DAY is a true story. That boy is now an adult. His name is Jim Perez. At the end of the book we learn that Jim is known for his community leadership, anti-bullying and gang prevention initiatives. Jim earned an Ambassador of Peace Award from the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County California.

What do you want to see in a "bully" story:
comeuppance, come around, or both?