Dealing with politically sensitive issues in your Writing

[falafel_musings]

Two things. Firstly I wanted to say there is a Hurley character discussion posted and it's only had two responses so far. Don't forget to show the big guy some love!

Secondly, I wanted some thoughts from my fellow writers on dealing with so-called politically-charged issues in your writing. Things like portrayal of gender, race, sexuality, etc.

Comments

[janie_tangerine]

Oh, sure they are. Sayid's target in The Economist (who also was excellently casted I must say, he was exactly your average Italian businessman going to the Seychelles for holidays) and Jack's... mh, I don't know what it was, anyway, the daughter of the guy he couldn't cure whom he kissed and then left there in The Hunting Party. (ETA: also, why the hell did they call her Gabriela when here it doesn't exist as a name and it'd be Gabriella I've never understood, but still.) Clearly if I had to stick with them I wouldn't go anywhere. ;) But writing characters of my own nationality just feels weird. I'd feel like an idiot even trying to pick names if they were original characters.

Things like phantom-limb syndrome are very intense to write about.

Oh, indeed. At certain points I was feeling terrible.

Glad that you're of the same opinion about the Fire + Water thing. I had exactly the same impression and Charlie just didn't seem like Charlie to me in there. I mean, fine if he's religious, but that was excessive and everyone seemed completely crazy. Also, I found it completely implausible that Claire would ask people if they knew about baptism. I mean, where did she live twenty years not knowing enough about it that she has to ask information? :// it seemed like they were giving the religious angle an importance that didn't seem there.

Agreed also about the Charlie-while-he-drowns thing. I mean, in that context it was a meaningful gesture and I guess that I could get why as a Catholic he'd do it, but in his place I'd have been pretty angry way before. I guess I just can't get what's behind it. Regarding Desmond, I think he should have had the crisis of faith at least from the hatch times, if not with the flashes. Unless you assume that he already had it after the monastery or sometime before.

[falafel_musings]

Desmond also made the sign of the cross before turning the key and supposedly dying. I just think they like to throw in religious references into the show here and there but they don't have much depth to them. Crazy fans (like me) can anaylise the Verrocchio painting in Charlie's dream, but the writers don't commit any real meaning to it. Ditto with the Abraham/Isaac reference in Catch-22. I don't mind religious symbolism in stories, but with Lost the religious elements just seem pretentious.

[zelda_zee]

Although even lapsed Catholics will automatically cross themselves when they enter a church if they aren't thinking about it - just a personal observation. I think Catholicism is a religion that gets into people on a very deep level and it seemed natural to me in both cases that Desmond and Charlie would make the sign of the cross.

[falafel_musings]

Yeah, it IS in character for both Desmond and Charlie as lapsed Catholics. This is just a good example of how I often have to go with the characters feelings about their faith and put my own feelings aside.