The Centre Is Not Central — Normal Heroes Among Dragons
This is also why the new novels die so quickly, and why the old fairy tales
endure forever. The old fairy tale makes the hero a normal human boy; it is
his adventures that are startling; they startle him because he is normal.
But in the modern psychological novel the hero is abnormal; the centre is
not central. … You can make a story out of a hero among dragons;
but not out of a dragon among dragons.”
— G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
There are several great questions from literature and writing. Among them, why is a raven like a writing desk? To that, add this one:
Q: When is a hero not a hero?
A: When he or she or they are too heroic and extraordinary.
Maybe this is the reason Hollywood chooses to rewrite Superman so often. As a purveyor of stories, the movie machine gets that no matter how much Supes is the perfect specimen of purity and goodness and power, that makes his stories far less interesting. Yes, I know lots and lots of people who would argue with me about that and say that “feet of clay” is the last thing Superman needs to make a story compelling, but I disagree. I really think Chesterton is one to something here.
In this case, Superman is neither a hero among dragons nor even a dragon among dragons — he’s a dragon among normies.
I think it’s also the reason Pulp fans haven’t seen a Doc Savage movie. He’s just too… much… for modern audiences or even older audiences. We know we need those larger-than-life, good guys in the white hats, the strongest and the purest hero types to hold as ideals, but we also know that telling stories about them never really facing any real challenges gets old after a while.
A Hero We Can Be
One of the first rules we learn for a classic adventure story is that of identification. In other words, give your readers a hero they can identify with and see themselves in. Give you readers they could strive to become.
Now, I hear you rebutting. I do. Any writer worth his, her, or their salt in the craft can make any hero identifiable and someone readers can empathize with. And you’re correct. The hero who may be all-powerful but doesn’t know how to “people” effectively can be as ordinary as any of us who feel that same weakness. A hero who may be almost all-powerful, but can’t do anything in a single situation can be as useless as any of us can feel in certain moments.
The trouble comes when writers choose to refuse to give their heroes any kind of weakness. She’s a dragon, damn it, and she’s going to be a dragon all the way. I don’t want readers to identify with her. She is supposed to be above us all.
Read the full article:
https://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-centre-is-not-central-normal-heroes.html
