I am writing a novel about a man who mass-murders people. He argues that his victims are “useless eaters” or “anti-social parasites” or “sub-humans.” His teenage daughter is in love with him. She wants to murder her mother, out of jealousy.
The novel is Sorcerer of the Realm. The man is the Sorcerer. His daughter is the Enchantress. They are the villains of their story… but not really.
Moral ambiguity is because “good” people are evil, not because goodness is ambiguous.
Arnold Kess is the Sorcerer. He wants to do what is right. He is willing to do whatever he must, whether he wants to or not. There is no extreme too extreme if it ultimately makes things better. He kills people to cleanse the world, not to be cruel.
Elsa Kess is the Enchantress. She wants to do what makes her happy, regardless of right or wrong. There is no extreme too extreme to get what she wants. She kills people because she wants to, sometimes to be cruel.
Arnold and Elsa are the perfect couple. The man is entirely “balance” and the girl entirely “flow” and together they are both. He leads and she faithfully follows. His genius and her passion change the world, for better or worse.
Arnold and Elsa do what they do together… yet he is “good” and she is evil. Everyone else benefits or suffers regardless.
Arnold is willing to sacrifice the innocent. He does not want to, but he shall do what he must, no matter what. His decisions are logical, thus righteous because they are inarguably right. Compassion is not a matter of right or wrong, however. Mercy is illogical more often than not.
Elsa loves her father and is loyal to him. She is willing to die for him. She does what is right to please him, not to do what is right. Her devotion is selfish, even when selfless. He gives her a sense of purpose she does not have without him.
The point of the story is that good and evil are not
matters of right or wrong. They are entirely personal, and I do not mean as
opinions. The heart of the individual is the heart of the matter. Everything
else is just backdrop.
https://www.deviantart.com/yellowplasma/journal/A-Man-and-His-Daughter-999292541
Arnold Kess is pure of heart, all that he does is for the betterment of The Realm. He would do anything or sacrifice anyone if it meant a brighter future for his people. Kess is righteous but lacks compassion. Elsa is selfish flow, whereas Arnold is selfless balance.
ReplyDeleteYes. The story is about them. They are not plot devices to tell a story.
DeletePerspective is what makes a character the protagonist of the story. If you can feed your reader the proper perspective, they will be able to relate to them even if they don't agree.
ReplyDeleteYes. We innately favor those whom we know over strangers, regardless of right or wrong. By showing the perspective of a character, the writer humanizes it. By not showing the perspective, the character is automatically dehumanized. Even a sympathetic stranger is still not a "person" to us until we know him PERSONALLY.
DeleteSacrificing others to get what you want is evil. The good will sacrifice themselves to do what is right. They will lay down their lives that others may live.
ReplyDeleteElsa is EVIL because she sacrifices others for herself. Her father is GOOD because he is willing to sacrifice himself for the common good... but he is EVIL because he is willing to sacrifice the few for the many.
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