Ways to Make Characters Loveable (Part Two)

    The last post on this subject was kind of centered on endearing outer traits that make characters pleasant to be around. This post will be more about the things on the inside.


Some people are afraid of crows--or birds in general.

    -Fear. Everyone's afraid of something. Snakes, spiders, the unknown, death. General or specific fears can both be very sympathetic and it's a weakness that can be worked through in the story. In An Unexpected Journey, the first part of the Peter Jackson movie adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, sheltered Bilbo Baggins is spooked by . . . well, everything outside of the Shire. His anxious reactions to things outside of his comfort zone are funny, but also endearing. And understandable in most instances--because who wouldn't freak out if they got lost in a dark cavern inhabited by the likes of Gollum?
    -Good intentions with few successes. On the masterpiece of a show Downton Abbey, there's a character named Mosley who's the epitome of kindness. He's intelligent, timid, caring, and often does selfless things to help others; but for the majority of the show, opportunities seem to pass him by almost all the time. He has a humble desire to improve his status work-wise, but every time an opportunity comes up, he's typically shut down. Sometimes the tone of these scenes makes it slightly funny, but even while chuckling we would always say "Poor Mosley!" It was impossible not to like the guy!
    -Regret after doing something wrong. Even the noblest people have bad days, act like a jerk for a moment, and feel crummy about it later. And sometimes, even generally jerk-y people feel bad when they go too far. In one of the original Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes does something that unnecessarily jeopardizes his and Watson's lives. Once the danger has passed, he actually openly apologizes. Anyone who's read some of Sherlock Holmes stories--or have watched the popular Sherlock series--know that this is a considerably huge deal. It's a rare moment of humility and repentance, and it shows that the character isn't unfeeling. It shows heart, and heart is loveable.

 

    -Brokenness. Usually before or right at the climax, a protagonist can have everything stripped away from them. Take away all their defenses. Let them hit rock bottom. Eliminate their support team. Let vital battles be lost. It's common among writers to joke about this--you know, how we imagine up these wonderful characters we love and simultaneously scheme ways to take everything they care about away--but it's really a serious and delicate process. When someone's world falls apart, it's a real, painful, and terrifying thing; not just something to make a story more dramatic. A breakdown moment in a story, I believe, should be written delicately and mindfully for the purpose of illustrating how it happens in real life, and how a person can rise up--or be risen up--out of it.
    -Redemption. The anti-hero goes back onto the noble road! The bad guy comes to the light! Yay! Awesome! A prime example of this kind of thing in a book character is Edmund Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. A lot of people adore this guy because of his wit in the movies, but I think his redemptive factor also attracts people. At the beginning of the book, he's selfish, rude to his siblings, and he disregards the warnings of a loved one, causing pain and damage to others in doing so. Everyone's done or been at least one of these things on a smaller scale. When Edmund turns back to his family and Aslan, he finds total forgiveness and redemption, and goes on to be a warrior. This is a wonderful story that can, in a real-life context, be replicated. And a life story like that is wonderful to hear!
    -Make the readers see themselves in them. This is probably the most effective way in making a character sympathetic, which is potent in making them loveable. When we share a character's problems, fears, hopes, beliefs, and similar personalities, it's like we can see pieces of ourselves in them, and we really know and understand them. And that's not only cool in how it's like we're in the story ourselves, but when the character finds strength and encouragement, we do too!
    Are any of these factors the reasons your favorite character is your favorite? Which character and characteristic would that be?