As George Orwell put it, “Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way.” It’s no coincidence that Orwell was aware of decaying English because he made the language come alive. Read the rest of Politics & The English Language if you don’t believe me.
I suppose the same could be said for human nature and fiction writers. Hobbes was right—we’re really all dirty beasts. Writers know this. But the best ones can still find some kindness for us.
That’s not to say characters can’t be flawed. A book can’t work without flawed characters; even Matilda was a bit needy when you think about it. But a fiction writer must have some compassion for these flaws by creating characters who are also disappointed by their limitations. Without that sympathy, a fiction would be no different than spending the morning hung over at the DMV.
October 6, 2009 at 11:15 am |
[...] or get laid. Mostly, they’re just are selfish and ignorant. Usually, Hobbesian characters don’t appeal to me. But Flannery O’Conner isn’t trying to get our sympathy. She’s just pointing out a [...]