dannnex

I've been thinking a lot about the different ways we engage with fiction, and the ways we talk about our reading experiences with others. Specifically I've been looking at the factors that can cause a person to either like or dislike a character. I'm starting to notice two very distinct ways that people view characters. This will sound obvious when I say it, but I think there's actually a lot of nuance here. 

Some people tend to look at characters from an above-story perspective, you judge a character based on the quality of the writing in which they're portrayed, and based on how they fit into the overall plot. Other people view characters from a within-story perspective, they judge a character based on their personality and the way they act towards other characters. They'll dislike a character if they'd also dislike a real person who acted the same way. 

I don't think anyone falls 100% into either category, it changes from character to character. I think we're more likely to fall into the second camp if a character strikes a nerve with us, if they remind us of people we've interacted with in our own lives. I also think we rarely use this perspective if our conclusion is that we like the character. This perspective tends to accompany a negative opinion. I think its rare to enjoy reading a character who is written poorly, but portrays the personality of a person that you'd theoretically enjoy spending time with irl.

There's obviously no "wrong" way to come to a conclusion about a character, your opinions are your own. But I think this is a good thing to keep in mind, especially when discussing characters with other people. It can help you identify both your own and others' biases.