Unreasonable Expectations? (Part 1 of 2)

[rj_anderson]

I've seen a couple of criticisms cropping up in reviews lately -- not reviews of my own books necessarily, but of some very fine books by other authors. They're often stated somewhat crankily, as though they are universal rules and every author worth her word count ought to know better than to flout them -- but as a matter of fact they are

Comments

[megancrewe]

I think some people get so caught up in some maxim of how stories should be that they can't look at each story individually and evaluate it on how well it works in itself. Which is unfortunate.

I get bothered by protagonists who come across as aimless, letting events push them one way or another without showing any desire toward any particular outcome. Even if there isn't anything the MC can do to change their situation at certain points, I want to know that they want things, and will try to get those things when they can. I also get bothered by protagonists who just accept their lot or what other characters tell them without thinking things through and making up their own minds. As long as the MC can think for him/herself and makes some sort of effort to achieve something some of the time, I don't see it as an inherent story flaw.

[rj_anderson]

I think that's a good point -- that the protagonist has to want something and be striving to get it, even if it's something as simple as a decent night's sleep or a cold glass of water.

[pigrescuer]

Sophos. For the first half of Conspiracy of Kings, things are happening to him, he's just observing/reacting. Then he takes charge and dashes of to Gen. Then he returns and you think he's just settled back into his observing/responding/dust-mote-in-the-shade when in actual fact, he isn't.

Another character I can think of by looking at my very tiny uni bookshelf if Bindy from Being Bindy Mackenzie. If you've read it, you will know she is in the true sense an observer.

[rj_anderson]

Oh, of course! Sophos is an excellent example! Thanks for mentioning him.

[mary_j_59]

Excellent essay! Two books came to mind at once for me: Our only May Amelia, which won the Newbery some years back, and Mockingjay,whose main character was accused by some readers of becoming passive, because she was reacting to what was done to her rather than acting to change things. I thought their criticism short-sighted in Katniss's case, and I don't know what they'd say about May Amelia, whom I love. It just doesn't seem realistic to me that a single character is always the instigator of the action - especially a juvenile or teen character. After all, that's not how adults live their lives! And kids are usually more powerless than adults.

OTOH, I think it can be quite reasonable to be annoyed by a protagonist who fails to change or respond in believable ways to the things that happen in a story. But that's not at all the same thing as instigating all the action.

[rj_anderson]

I think it can be quite reasonable to be annoyed by a protagonist who fails to change or respond in believable ways to the things that happen in a story. But that's not at all the same thing as instigating all the action.

Yes, exactly -- well said!

[rj_anderson]

Will look forward to your Definite Thoughts on my second post then! Thanks for weighing in.

[scionofgrace]

Would Sam Gamgee count as a passive protagonist, at least somewhat? Tolkien called him the "real hero" of the story, but his primary motivation is to keep Frodo safe/well. The destruction of the Ring is his duty almost by proxy. He has some wonderfully proactive moments (the bit where he alone figures out that Frodo is ditching the Fellowship is one of my favorites), but things tend to happen to him. He even beat himself up for making a decision without any "wise" people around, because it wasn't his "place". In RotK, he's front and center (and awesome), but in FotR, he's just kinda there.

I dunno. There are too many great books that have simply too much plot to be driven by one person, even primarily.

[rj_anderson]

That's a good point about Sam as the "real hero", especially from Tolkien's perspective. And your comparison between his role in FotR and RotK show that it sometimes takes time until characters get a chance to show us their proactive sides.