Early this morning, hubs glanced out the front door window and saw this. A tiny fawn had lost its mother and decided to take refuge in our (chewed up) fountain grass. Totally vulnerable, it felt our yard was a safe place to settle. Our yard is also somewhat of a "deer highway," so it's likely the fawn had watched its mother chew on our plants.
Two hours later, the fawn moved to a larger bush to stay in the shade. I don't know if it found its mother, but I'm glad our yard has a safe, familiar feel. Even rabbits enjoy munching our weeds. We don't poison anything, so it's all safe for the wildlife to consume and neighbors' dogs to sniff through. Though exposed and alone, the fawn felt no immediate danger.
We all have moments when we feel vulnerable or exposed. What makes one person uncomfortable could be another person's favorite activity. This has been no more apparent in culture than it is right now. Social media gives us all a way to express ourselves, discomforts and all. Fears that many people used to keep hidden can now be expressed and accepted as a "trigger."
We've all seen this concept used to both bring people closer and push them apart.
For the first many years of our lives, we are totally reliant on our parents or caregivers to teach us healthy ways to walk through life. Each one of us has childhood fears we overcame and anxieties that grew up with us. When writing characters, I love to dwell in their specific vulnerability and what past event(s) caused them to feel that way.
Many animated movies get this concept down and use it to develop their characters. When a character becomes relatable, even adults can feel those long-forgotten emotions that are typically aimed toward children.
In The Lion King, Mufasa explains this concept to Simba in such a clear and logical way. For those who don't remember, Simba's uncle persuaded the young lion cub to go to the Elephant's Graveyard to prove his bravery. Mufasa has to save both Simba and his friend from being eaten by the hyenas there. Afterward, Mufasa teaches Simba that reckless behavior will ultimately lead not just to Simba's destruction, but his loved ones will also deal with the consequences.
What a life lesson.
But Simba is still young. He pushes back and tells his father he wanted to be brave like Mufasa, that he doesn't believe Mufasa is scared of anything. Mufasa then gets vulnerable. A king humbles himself and admits to his son that even with all the power in his kingdom, he still has fears: Mufasa was afraid of losing his son.
The one thing missing from that conversation was a "past trauma" that may have caused Mufasa to worry about his son. It isn't necessary in this case since the danger was front and center. If Mufasa didn't fight off the hyenas, they would have eaten Simba and his friend seconds later.
A scene in Moana takes this same parent/child fear concept one step further.
Moana, daughter of the village chief, lives on a beautiful tropical island. She loves the ocean, but every time she gets near it, her father pulls her back. He tells Moana she has to stay on the island and be the chief of their people. But a curse is making food scarce. When Moana suggests they sail larger boats past the reef to fish in deeper waters, her father rebukes her ideas in front of several onlookers.
His stubborn words crush Moana and make her feel like her father doesn't understand her or care about her ideas. Enter Moana's mother and a story of vulnerability.
Moana's mother tells her that her father used to be just like Moana. He loved the ocean and sailed out one night with a friend. A storm came and toppled their boat. Her father's friend drowned because her father wasn't able to save him. After that, her father became fearful of losing his daughter the same way. He knew firsthand the unpredictability of the ocean, but instead of dealing with his fear, he pushed his anger on Moana. But that one scene showed that Moana's father couldn't quite humble himself in front of his daughter the way Mufasa did with Simba.
That's the depth. The reason. The true vulnerability.
We all hide these kinds of scars. Characters should, too. Few people admit the true root of their fears online. Anyone can say, "I have arachnophobia," but would they say why? Would they admit that they threw a giant black spider on their brother, and the spider bit and killed their brother? No.
The question then becomes what would it take?
What would it take to bring a character to their breaking point, the place they have to admit their ultimate vulnerability? The more unique the source, the more a character becomes relatable. Like a true person. Maybe even a friend.
These are the characters we remember. These are the characters I will endeavor to write. Just like me, with all my own vulnerabilities, not everyone will get my characters. But some people will. Adding that depth is worth the extra effort.
Keep on smilin'!
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