There’s nothing worse than reading a story and realizing that one of the characters doesn’t feel real. Most readers can put up with that for a little while, but at some point if things don’t improve, they will most likely put the book down and move on to something better. When this happens, it’s usually because there is not enough depth to the character, and one of the main causes of this is a failure to show the character’s weakness. There is just something about exposing a person’s flaws that cuts to the core of humanity. I mean, who doesn’t love a flawed character? They’re relatable to everyone, and reading about someone else’s flaws makes us feel better about our own areas of weakness. After all, nobody is perfect. And who among us hasn’t been victimized by our own shortcomings at one point or another?
For obvious reasons, flawed characters have been commonplace in literature since the dawn of storytelling. In fact, a quick glance down the list of some of the greats suggests that some of literature’s most beloved characters (Captain Ahab, Jay Gatsby, Ebenezer Scrooge) were constructed with obvious flaws.
However, flawed characters can detract from the story. The danger with focusing on a character’s flaws is that sometimes we have a hard time looking past the blemishes. This is where redemption comes in handy. And it usually shows up in a suspenseful scene or a pivotal plot point, which forces us to forgive, or otherwise ignore, a character’s underlying flaw.
There are two main types of character redemption: redeeming the hero and redeeming the villain.
Redeeming the Hero
To see this in action, we need only to look at one of Charles Dickens’ most iconic characters of all time: Ebenezer Scrooge. Due to his obsession with money and his downright hatred of Christmas, a holiday most often associated with warmth and generosity, he might just be the least likable protagonist of all time. And yet the reader is expected to root for this guy, and even relish in his potential for transformation. That possibility of course is the one thing that keeps readers invested. In fact, the promise of redemption is built into the very premise of the story early in the plot when the ghost of Jacob Marley delivers a prophetic message to Scrooge to warn him of his own eternal damnation. Since Scrooge’s journey is weighed down by such an arduous task, the reader temporarily forgives him of his flaws. What’s more, the clever design of the plot even depicts Scrooge as an underdog who is victimized by unrelenting, unsympathetic spirits. Therefore, Dickens is able to get the reader to turn a blind eye to Scrooge’s miserly nature and root for the very man who scoffs at goodness and charity. Of course, the reader is justly rewarded in the end when Scrooge exchanges his “Bah! Humbug!” for “Merry Christmas.” Check out this article to see Richard Gunderman’s complete breakdown of Scrooge’s redemption. Ultimately, Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation feels authentic because upon revisiting his painful past and glimpsing his promised future, he begins to doubt his very nature. With the gradual erosion of Scrooge’s defenses it becomes easier for the reader to accept, even to expect, the emergence of goodness from within him.
Redeeming the Villain
What is it about the bad guys that always draws us in? They’re nasty and cloying and often hard to stomach, and yet strangely irresistible. The reader often has no chance. We’re sucked in like the Millenium Falcon caught in the magnetic pull of the Death Star. Technically speaking, we aren’t supposed to like these characters. In fact, writers often go through great pains to ensure that we are actively rooting against them. And yet, there is something magical about the bad guy. And there is something about the transformation from bad guy into hero that all readers find compelling.
Much of this stems from the age-old fascination with good vs. evil and the expectation that good will win-out in the end. So, there is a sense of satisfaction or reward when goodness prevails.
When people root for the bad guys, they often think they’re rooting for them to win, but I don’t think that’s entirely true. I believe that what they really want is for the bad guys to be able to prove their relative worth. That is to say, at least on some level, that they want the bad guys to be able to show the good guys that they aren’t really all that different.
So, when a character is redeemed, the reader is rewarded with the much coveted truth that everyone has at least some goodness in them. This type of redemption was most popularly used by George Lucas in the original Star Wars trilogy, which ends dramatically with the character redemption of none other than Darth Vader. You can read differing views about this over at Cinema Blend and Psychology Today. No matter which side you land on, one thing is undeniable: Darth Vader changes for the better at the very end. He may have been seduced by the dark side of the force, but in the end, he can not stand idly by as the evil emperor Palpatine threatens to kill his son. And so, he makes the ultimate decision to destroy evil in the name of goodness.
When it Works
Often times, the transformation of these characters is well-planned. If it is foreshadowed from the early stages of plot, and the character changes slowly over time, their transformation seems authentic, and the reader feels satisfied in multiple ways. On the primary level, there is that deeply-rooted self-satisfaction that comes from knowing you were right all along. You just had a hunch that this Ebenezer Scrooge character can’t really be all that bad. After all, who ever heard of a story where the main character is a selfish, greedy monster that refuses to change? It technically wouldn’t even be a story.
And of course, Darth Vader’s heroic intervention was foreshadowed in Empire Strikes Back in that touching moment between father and son when he holds out his hand and asks Luke to join him in ruling the galaxy.
When it Doesn’t
But a character’s redemption isn’t always an easy pill to swallow. Sometimes, writers paint the characters into a corner by having them commit actions that are too terrible to forgive. While many people may be able to forgive characters of some minor transgressions, there is a limit to how much they are willing to let go. So, if a character commits an act of atrocity, like murder, no amount of positive deeds will be able to fully redeem them in the eyes of the audience.
Conclusion
Obviously, when done well, character redemption culminates in a plot twist that delivers in all the right ways and adds to the complexity of the story. But, when it’s poorly managed or overused, it ends up damaging the character’s believability and risks damaging the credibility of the story’s resolution.
Of course, all of this points toward some fundamental truths. Not every story needs to have redemption built into the plot line. And, more to the point, not every character deserves to be redeemed.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you love them, or hate them, or love to hate them. In the end, flawed characters are fun. And it can be particularly fun to watch them transform into something better, greater, or wiser in the end. So, whenever you find yourself rooting for, or against, flawed characters just remember: it’s not their flaws, but their potential for greatness that makes them stand out.
Of course, I’d love to hear what you think. Comment below to share your thoughts on this topic.