If you're telling a story it is part of the deal that your protagonist is going to experience challenge and in the end some, if only very small, growth or transformation. We change from moment to moment, never quite the same on one day than another. So, it's expected that our characters don't stay stagnant, since nobody really does (or do they?), especially if they face hurdles. Hurdles in life almost demand that we confront the challenges and learn something from them. If we don't learn, then the challenges will come back at us until we do. Some people believe that we live multiple lives until we learn our lessons. Some people say that the soul can never be perfect, no matter how far we strive. This does not stop some people from trying, the polar opposite of the person who sees no reason at all to change.
I am not talking about perfection. I am talking about growth. It might be learning to get outside your own head and think of others, walking in their shoes. That's a pretty big lesson for some people; monumental. If, at the end of the novel the protagonist leans into the possibility of walking in another person's shoes, or of recognizing the pain to others that they have caused, or of making the admittedly enormous effort of living a life that takes into account those that they live with, that would be enough, in my book. I'm not an action writer. I'm fascinated by incremental, almost imperceptible change.
Remember when Richard Kimble said, 'I didn't do it', and Deputy Gerard replied, 'I don't care'? We note that. We note also the moment when it finally dawns on Gerard that Kimble is telling the truth. He bent. He stretched. He moved away from his rigid position and he entertained the possibility that he was wrong. I think that is why 'The Fugitive' was so successful. We saw this wonderful transformation of a rather rigid, pain in the ass man.
Now, read this advice to a person who is the kindly partner of a person with a personality disorder:
"You can't control what s/he thinks about you, how s/he acts or says or wants. Stop trying to change the N/B (narcissist/borderline). You can ONLY control YOURSELF. Also, stop trying to make the N/B feel better. You cannot do anything to make them feel better. It can't be done."
IT CAN'T BE DONE. Preordained, yes? Not much chance of a story line there.
So, what about the kindly partner? Can she transform in some way? There are many possibilities here, endless possibilities, and yet...it's so predictable. Of course she can transform. She has been morphing on a daily basis in the interests of everyone else. Hmmm, perhaps she puts herself first, finally? And yet, I'm such a fan of the Deputy Gerard transformation just because all along it seemed so implausible; so unlikely.
Surely, surely there is some way these dark characters can see the light.
"The good doctors" are demonstrating that awareness is possible; transformation, not so much. That sucks. Then again, they made a series of movies about Hannibal Lector, didn't they? All is not lost as far as a story arc goes, so long as you enjoy the permanently dark character. Personally, I'm not a big fan.
I am not talking about perfection. I am talking about growth. It might be learning to get outside your own head and think of others, walking in their shoes. That's a pretty big lesson for some people; monumental. If, at the end of the novel the protagonist leans into the possibility of walking in another person's shoes, or of recognizing the pain to others that they have caused, or of making the admittedly enormous effort of living a life that takes into account those that they live with, that would be enough, in my book. I'm not an action writer. I'm fascinated by incremental, almost imperceptible change.
Remember when Richard Kimble said, 'I didn't do it', and Deputy Gerard replied, 'I don't care'? We note that. We note also the moment when it finally dawns on Gerard that Kimble is telling the truth. He bent. He stretched. He moved away from his rigid position and he entertained the possibility that he was wrong. I think that is why 'The Fugitive' was so successful. We saw this wonderful transformation of a rather rigid, pain in the ass man.
Now, read this advice to a person who is the kindly partner of a person with a personality disorder:
"You can't control what s/he thinks about you, how s/he acts or says or wants. Stop trying to change the N/B (narcissist/borderline). You can ONLY control YOURSELF. Also, stop trying to make the N/B feel better. You cannot do anything to make them feel better. It can't be done."
IT CAN'T BE DONE. Preordained, yes? Not much chance of a story line there.
So, what about the kindly partner? Can she transform in some way? There are many possibilities here, endless possibilities, and yet...it's so predictable. Of course she can transform. She has been morphing on a daily basis in the interests of everyone else. Hmmm, perhaps she puts herself first, finally? And yet, I'm such a fan of the Deputy Gerard transformation just because all along it seemed so implausible; so unlikely.
Surely, surely there is some way these dark characters can see the light.
"The good doctors" are demonstrating that awareness is possible; transformation, not so much. That sucks. Then again, they made a series of movies about Hannibal Lector, didn't they? All is not lost as far as a story arc goes, so long as you enjoy the permanently dark character. Personally, I'm not a big fan.
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