Dr. Alan Grant is a paleontologist and the protagonist of Jurassic Park. He is first seen unearthing a velociraptor fossil in its completed form on an archaeological dig. Ironically, it is only days later that Grant realizes his discoveries pale in comparison to what lives at Jurassic Park. Hammond asks Grant and Sattler to come and see the park but does not initially tell them that it is a park for dinosaurs. They initially decline, citing their most recent find as needing their attention, but they agree when Hammond offers them a hefty sum to fund future expeditions.

When Grant arrives, he is in absolute shock to see real living dinosaurs and is somewhat naïve to the dangers that await him and the others. He is captured by the amazement of seeing something he thought would happen much further in the future. Until the power shuts down, Grant is mainly focused on learning as much as he possibly can about the dinosaurs in the two days he is to stay there. He takes Tim under his wing, who happens to also have “dinosaurs on the brain” (105). Grant likes children— “It was impossible to not like any group so openly enthusiastic about dinosaurs.