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Introduction
When
we deconstructed the Hero and Villain, we encountered two types of characters:
the Protagonist and Antagonist which are defined by their structural function
in the plot, and the Main and Influence Characters, which are defined by their
points of view.
Now
both the characters' functions and their points of view represent parts of the
Story Mind's psychology. In this lesson, we're going to dig deeper into
the Story Mind and expand our understanding of the true role of characters in
a story's structure.
Perspectives of the Story Mind
As
we've seen, there are two ways to look at characters in the Story Mind. We might take an analytical approach and examine
them from the outside looking in, just as a psychologist might examine a patient and note his or her symptoms. Or, we might try to understand
them by putting ourselves in their place, and seeing what things look like from the inside looking out.
Each of these approaches has its advantages and disadvantages. If you only take the outside view, you are never able to truly empathize with a person or a story. If you only take the inside view, however, you lose all sense of objectivity.
As an illustration of this dilemma, my mother oft aired a complaint about people who say, "If I were you, I'd…" She would invariably cut them off and retort, "No, if you were I, you'd do just what I'm doing. What you are saying is that if you were in my position, you'd do things differently."
Obviously, the moment you establish a point of view, you won't see the backside of what you want to observe. Essentially, every angle on something is,
by definition, incomplete and/or inaccurate. Yet you need an angle to get any perspective at all. To compensate for this limitation, human beings naturally jump from one point of view to another, and the Story Mind incorporates this quality as well.
The Objective View
Structurally, there are four points of view that must be incorporated into a story's structure in order for the audience to feel it is seeing the whole picture: Objective, Subjective, Main Character, Obstacle Character.
The Objective view is like that of a general on a hill overlooking a battle. He's not actually in the battle, but certainly cares about it. From his vantage point on the outside looking in, he can see how the whole strategy unfolds. He can tell where the lines are drawn, where resistance is greatest, and can easily see the best path to achieving his army's goal.
From this point of view, soldiers can't be identified by name, but can only be observed in terms of their function on the field. Similarly, the Objective View in stories is where we identify characters by their dramatic function, such as Protagonist or Antagonist. We can tell nothing of their hopes, fears, or quirks, just how they act and react on the dramatic field.
Every functional character from this perspective represents a facet of our own human minds. For example, here you will find a character representing the voice of Reason, and another that illustrates the drive of our Emotions.
The Main Character View
Suppose we zoom down from the general's hill and stand in the shoes of one of the soldiers on the field. Now our point of view has changed considerably. While we no longer have an objective overview, we have gained a highly personal perspective on the battle.
From here, the dangers are far more immediate and threatening. Dramatic explosions are going off all around us. We know what we are supposed to do, but we are also concerned with getting through it all alive as well.
This perspective is represented by the Main Character, who determines the audience position in the story. Psychologically, the Main Character stands for our sense of self in our own minds.
Each of us feels our own existence, i.e. "I think, therefore I am." We have trouble describing what it is to be us. Yet we have a very clear feel for it as an experience. And that is why stories must include this personal perspective if they are to wholly involve an audience or reader.
The
Obstacle Character View
Now this poor soul, the Main Character, doesn't just stand there in the middle of this battle waiting for something to do him in. Rather, he picks his way through the field of conflict making the best moment to moment decisions that he can, based on his life experience.
Along the way, he is challenged by a shadowy figure blocking the path of his chosen course. With all the smoke from the Dramatic explosions, ol' MC can't tell if it is friend or a foe. But as he approaches this obstacle, the confronting figure shouts to him, "Get off the path." The MC, sure that his only hope lies in continuing along that path, shouts back, "Get out of my way!"
Is this Obstacle Character (or Influence Character) trying to help the MC by preventing him from marching into a mine field, or is it trying to lure him into an ambush? From the Objective view, we could certainly see the answer to this question, but the MC isn't privy to that perspective. So what should he do?
That Obstacle Character embodies the third of the four perspectives of the Story Mind. It represents that "devil's advocate" voice within ourselves when we consider changing our mind. You know, that alternative point of view on the issue that we ponder adopting as our own.
In stories, this Obstacle Character illustrates the other side of the moral or message argument, and gives meaning to Main Characters personal struggle.
The Subjective View
When we think about changing our mind, our values, or our outlook, we don't just jump over and do it to see how it feels. Rather, we examine that potential new point of view, try to imagine what the world would look like from there - how we would feel about ourselves if we became that kind of person. And only when we have explored that alternative paradigm as deeply as we can do we decide to take a leap of faith and adopt it or decline to do so, remaining instead as we are.
Have you ever encountered a story where one of the principal characters said to the other, "You and I are both alike," and the other character responded, "No, we are nothing alike." That is the crux of the Subjective argument. We look for similarities and differences between the two points of view. By some standards, we might determine that making the change wouldn't alter the essence of ourselves, but by other standards it looks as if we just wouldn't be ourselves anymore.
Like two boxers circling each other in the ring, we cover a lot of ground while facing off with ourselves, testing our resolve to go about business as usual against our resolve to change.
It is this personal skirmish itself that gives heart to a story and makes the message more than a simple logistic exercise in trying a achieve a goal.
Putting it All Together
Every story has a mind of its own - its own psychology and its own personality. The psychology is created by the story's structure, and the personality is developed through an author's storytelling style.
Collectively, the dramatic components of a story's structure creates the psychology of this overall mind, a Story Mind, in which characters are the conflicting drives, theme explores its troubled value standards, plot outlines the problem-solving pathways employed, and genre describes the Story Mind's overall outlook and attitude.
There are four essential points of view required to fully examine a story's structure- Main Character, Obstacle Character, Subjective, and Objective. These four perspectives can be thought of as I (Main Character), You (Obstacle Character, We (Subjective), and They (Objective).
Within our own minds, the Main Character represents our sense of self. The Obstacle Character illustrates the kind or person we might become if we change. The Subjective View describes the back and forth mental considerations we go through when trying to decide whether or not to change. The Objective View explores the other aspects of ourselves and our considerations that form the background against which our personal choice is made.
Study
Exercises: Recognizing the Four Throughlines
For three
of your favorite stories, do all of the following
1.
Describe the Objective Throughline that revolves around the overall goal of the
story in which all the functional characters are involved.
2.
List the characters by name that are involved in that goal.
3.
From that list of characters, identify the Protagonist and Antagonist
4.
From that list of characters, identify the Main and Obstacle (Influence)
Characters.
5.
Describe the moral issue over which the Main and Influence Characters grapple.
6.
Describe the Subjective Throughline that unfolds between the Main and Influence
Characters.
7.
If the Subjective and Objective Throughlines affect what happens in each other,
describe those effects.
Writing
Exercises: Creating Four Throughlines
1.
Devise a goal for a hypothetical story. Create a Protagonist and
Antagonist that battle over the goal in the Objective Throughline.
2.
Create other supporting characters who are also involved in the Objective
Throughline.
3.
Choose one of these characters as the Main Character, and another as the
Influence (Obstacle) Character.
4.
Determine an attitude or moral position over which the Main and Influence
Characters argue.
5.
Create a brief story about the personal skirmish between the Main and Influence
Characters in the Subjective Throughline.
6.
Come up with three ways in which events in the Subjective and Objective
throughlines affect each other.
7.
Write a brief scenario for each of the three instances you created describing
each as it unfolds.
Copyright
2003 Melanie Anne Phillips
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