Alex Dunphy is the smartest character onModern Familyand fans love watching her deal with her silly parents and her siblings who are so different from her. She often feels like she doesn't fit in, but she stands her ground and always believes in herself, which is something to be proud of. It's a lot of fun to watch Alex grow throughout the show's11 seasons.
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The main characters havetheir own personalitiesand Alex definitely stands out when compared to her relatives. Whileshe'spart of alarge family, there are many reasons why Alex could be considered the protagonist of this popular sitcom.
She's More Logical And Practical Than The Other Characters
From signing herself up for a therapy session to trying not to get involved with her family's silly schemes, Alex was always more logical and practical than the other characters on the show.
This makes her a perfect main character, as she always has self-confidence and strength.If she was just as immature as herparents and siblingscould be,she wouldn't be quite so compelling, as she would fade into the background. Instead, Alex is always the one who knows how to solve problems or remove herself from a sticky situation. In many scenes, she was seen with her nose in a book, or she was more concerned with studying than whatever the other characters were worrying about.
Fans Can Relate To Her Unique Place In The Family
In the season5 episode "Under Pressure," Alex decided to see a therapist as she was having trouble coping with the stress in her life. She said that she didn't feel understood by her family members and that she always had to succeed. This was just one time when fans worried about Alex.
Fans can relate to Alex's unique place in her family as she never felt likethey could see things from her perspective. It was only in this episode that Claire admitted that Alex was living in a pressure cooker and that she had never realized how much work she did every day. Not everyone gets along perfectly with their siblings or other relatives, sothis is an important part of Alex's character arc.
She Has A Clear Journey
Alex started changing over the yearsand she experienced what life had to offer other than just studying all the time. She had some love interests and went off to college.
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When Alex didn't get into Harvard, this made her realize that she had always tried to be perfect, but sometimes that just isn't healthy. Alex can be seen as the main character onModern Familybecause she has a clear, enthralling journey and she is definitely different and more mature in the series finale.
Alex And Haley's SisterlyRelationship Is The Most Relatable
While Lily was always hilarious when spending time with Mitch and Cam, and Manny's dynamic with Jay and Gloria was special, it was the relationship between Haley and Alex that was the heart of the series.
Just like a lot of sisters, Haley and Alex didn't get along, and while they had random moments when they would bond, they were pretty mean to each other the rest of the time. This is a relationship that fans can relate to the most since it can be so tough to not feel jealous or resentful of a sibling, especially when fairly close in age.
Fans Watch Her Grow Up, Which Is A Theme Of The Series
Alex can also be seen as the main character onModern Familybecause fans got the chance to see her grow up. If the theme of the series is the importance of family, there are also many episodes about the joys and struggles of coming of age, and Alex was always front and center here.
When shehad her first kiss on a family trip to Wyoming with Jimmy, Alex felt he had taken that experience from her, asit wasn't exactly great. When she tried to fit in with girls her own age, her mom embarrassed her, and she felt even worse. There were many times when Alex had a hard time but these were the times when she learned the most lessons.
She Observes The Family On A Regular Basis
Alex was always a master at observing the people around her. Since she had her moments of being shy and quiet, she sometimes hung out in the background, even with her family members.
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Because of Alex's nerdy nature, she was able to really get to know the people who were closest to her, and she seemed to understand them on amore significant level than the others. She was someone whom others could go to for wisdom, as she usually had something intelligent to offer.
She Appreciates Her Family More Than The Others
From happily babysitting Lily to appreciating time with her grandfather, Alex seemed to enjoy and cherish being part of such a large family. This isn't something that can be said of the other characters, as Haley often sighed and complained when she had to miss a party tospend time with Jay instead.
In one scene Haley asked, "Shouldn't she be playing Words with Friends with friends?" and when Alex responded, "Grandpa is my friend," Haley said, "Of course he is. That's not sad." While this was a hilariousexchange, it also proved that Alex really did love her relatives. Since the show is about family, this suggests she could be the protagonist.
She Can Be Surprising, Which Shows Growth
WhileAlex had her moments of notbeing smart, she did manage to surprise people, and this allowed her character to grow. Instead of staying the same all the time and being fairly one-note, she did her own thing and that sometimes meant waving goodbye to her comfort zone.
In the season 4 episode "Best Men," Claire and Haley saw Alex perform with her band, and they wereshocked to see her do something like that. The fact that Alex could break out of her shell and try something new puts her in protagonist territory.
She Stays Relevant And Interesting
Sometimes, as a show continues and characters grow up and go off to college, the quality suffers a lot. It can be hard for characters to stay relevant as they start living in the adult world.
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Alex managed to stay relevant and interesting even when she graduated from high school and went to Caltech, which is definitely great. Fans liked seeing her as a young adult and it was satisfying that she was able to pursue her passion.
She's Always Got Perfect One-Liners
There may be some characters with a better sense of humor, but Alex still had some perfect one-liners. In one scene, Claire asked, "Alex what have I told you about staying out past your curfew?" and Alex replied, "I need to do it more often." Another time, Alex said, "I shouldn't be penalized for being too smart, I'm not running for president."
The main character on a sitcom definitely needs to be funny, and Alex always delivered, making fans root for her journey and also laugh at her jokes — especially when she wasn't trying to be hilarious.
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