Writer's Workshop: "Everyman" - Character Archetypes

[a_lost_packet_]

"Everyman" is a medieval morality play that has come to symbolize the representation of an ordinary person placed in extraordinary circumstances. Here are a few links for background on "Everyman."<br /><br />Everyman - Synopsis<br />Everyman - Wiki<br />Everyman - Full text - Google books<br /><br />There's alot of Sci-Fi out there that has used the common "Everyman" theme to represent a normal, everyday person being thrown into events that are extraordinary. The appeal is obvious: The reader can readily identify with the main character. <br /><br />However, there are all sorts of ways to construct a character that appeals to a broad audience without resorting directly to an "Everyman" approach. Often, you see a blending of "Everyman" with other character archetypes. For instance, Luke Skywalker starts out as an Everyman type character in some ways. Traditional farm boy desiring some adventure. It's something many can identify with. Later, he becomes a "Hero", something larger than life.<br /><br />Here's a wiki on some traditional character "Archetypes" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype Feel free to link your references to other character archetypes as well.<br /><br />So, what type of character do you like to read about in stories? What character is one of your favorites and why? What type of character, given the opportunity, would you like to write about or be interested in exploring? Would it be the Heroic Swashbuckler, the Troubled Hero or someone with a Fatal Flaw? What is your favorite type of character or one that you think gives the most opportunity for creativity?<br /><br />There is no "correct" answer. All types of characters work equally well given the right story. But, stories are <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Interesting choices, and not so easy to choose between. At least, not for me.<br /><br />The Heroic Swashbuckler? No, too simple - too much a straight man (see Conan - fun to read about, not as much fun to write (in my opinion)). My preference runs toward darker characters - the unliklier his heroics, the better. The Shadow is close in some ways, but perhaps the Trickster is closer. An example of what I mean: In Evangeline Walton's version of the <i>Mabinogion</i>, Evnissyen (twin brother of beloved Nissyen, dark where Nissyen is light, etc.; i.e., Nissyen's 'dark half') stirs up trouble between his brother Bran, King of Wales, and Matholwch, King of Ireland. Bran, as dowry, gives the Cauldron of Plenty when his sister Branwen weds Matholwch. But Ireland's king uses the Cauldron to reanimate his fallen warriors after Bran makes war on Ireland upon learning Branwen is being mistreated at Matholwch's court. Every action taken by Evnissyen fuels the war, but in the end - when all looks to be lost - it is Evnissyen who, as a living man, immerses himself in the Cauldron, knowing it is death for a living man to do so, knowing that it will also burst the Cauldron.<br /><br />Likewise, my favorite moment in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>? Darth pitching the Emperor into the Death Star's reactor shaft. Heroics which go farther than merely saving the day: redemption through heroic sacrifice.<br /><br />Yeah, I like underdogs. And who was a bigger underdog candidate for 'hero' in Star Wars than Darth? Which is also why Han Solo was my favorite character - heroics from that quarter are not expected, making them all that much more meaningful when they occur all the same.<br /><br />The Trickster figure best fits this model, I suspect. Loki, the trouble-maker among the Norse gods, would make trouble, true to form. But then he would make <i>up</i> for that trouble. Thus the Aesir acquire Asgard's impregnable walls, Thor's irresistible hammer, Odin's unwavering spear, Sif's uns

 

[vagueship]

I agree with the underdog and the Darth Vader hero type. A person who doesn't have a chance or the ability but the belief in themselves to achieve or win.<br /><br />I also like a character who is quiet and puts up with things until it gets to a point to where they kick ass because they have done everything to avoid trouble.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>I also like a character who is quiet and puts up with things until it gets to a point to where they kick ass because they have done everything to avoid trouble.</i><br /><br />Samwise Gamgee - his desperate courage against Shelob, and his calm and deliberate daring as he boldly enters the Tower of Cirith Ungol? Like that? If so, then I can relate. Unlooked for heroics and resourcefulness when most needed.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<font color="yellow">Serak_the_Preparer - Short version: I like the underdog who, in spite of all expectations, rises to the occasion. Very often, it turns out to be the Trickster. The other side of that: Unleashing the dark side of the hero (think The Count of Monte Cristo). Luke Skywalker does not interest me; give me a hero who defies the gods themselves - give me Odysseus. And now you know why I liked V for Vendetta. I always vote for the party out of power, the loyal opposition.</font><br /><br />Ah, Odysseus. I think it would be a very difficult thing to do to list all of the great characters in Sci-Fi, Fantasy or any literature that mirror Odysseus.<br /><br />That's something that has always intrigued me. Stories have a way of repeating themselves. The Heroic Journey is one of my favorites and the Odysseus type of character shows up all over the place. That's why some of the ancient stories are still favorites of many. Some may seem simple to us today, but the true meat of those stories is reflected in our most popular works of fiction.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<font color="yellow">VagueShip - I also like a character who is quiet and puts up with things until it gets to a point to where they kick ass because they have done everything to avoid trouble.</font><br /><br />I wonder what type of archetype we could call that character? The Reluctant Hero? The Benevolent-Until-Aggravated Hero? The Justifiable Homicide Hero? The Unleashed-Can-of-Whoopass Hero? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />I like that type of character too. They're usually quiet, brooding and restrained until they just can't take it anymore. Usually, they've sacrificed something or have put up with situations that normal, mortal men, couldn't. Early in the story, they may even be a victim striving to hold onto what they believe is "right" only to finally realize that sometimes, injustice has to be met head on with a dose of buttkicking. heh heh<br /><br />I suppose "Batman" would be something like that. A victim turned vigilante. Perhaps there are better references out there for that type of hero though. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<font color="yellow">Serak_the_Preparer - Samwise Gamgee - his desperate courage against Shelob, and his calm and deliberate daring as he boldly enters the Tower of Cirith Ungol? Like that? If so, then I can relate. Unlooked for heroics and resourcefulness when most needed.</font><br /><br />Samwise was probably my favorite character in tLotR. He's the unchanging, steadfast and loyal rock that Frodo and the others revolve around. He's the perfect sidekick. He holds true to himself and his loyalty even when the chips are down and others doubt themselves. He resists the greatest of temptations by simply being pure of heart. A great character.<br /><br />What would he be? The Pure Soul? Sancho? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Odysseus will be with us for a long time, I think, Western civilization's original all-arounder, the wily warrior. He was a pirate, raiding the Cicones at Ismarus, Polyphemus' livestock, even the sacred Cattle of the Sun. Like you say, he keeps showing up, appearing, for instance, in a scifi movie trilogy where he's referred to as 'swindler,' 'old pirate,' and - his own personal favorite - 'scoundrel.' Also a womanizer, adventurer, military leader, negotiator - always ready with a scheme. He is, I'd have to say, a Trickster. I've read the following elsewhere:<br /><br /><i>It should be noted that Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241), the Icelandic writer, who wrote the Prose Edda, made an interesting comparison with the Aesir gods to the people in Asia, particular to the Trojan royal family. Snorri wrote that the Aesir had come from Asia, and he compared the Ragnarok with the Fall of Troy, so Snorri is saying that Asgard, home of the gods, was also called Troy. Several of the gods were identified with the heroes. Snorri wrote that Thor was once called Hector, Ali (Vali) was Helenus, and Vidar with Aeneas. While Loki was compared to the devious trickster Ulysses (Odysseus).</i><br /><br />- from Aesir (Timeless Myths)<br /><br />As for Sam, maybe i

 

[etavaunt]

Have you ever read Phillp Jose Farmers "Private Universe" stories? With the ultimate Trickster "Kickaha" AKA Paul janus Finnigan, in-again out-again Finnagan, AKA Horst von Horstman, AKA "That bloody redheaded, light fingered ratbag". ?.<br /><br />Maker of Universes is the first one. TOP NOTCH.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<font color="yellow">Serak_the_Preparer - So I think it is Sam who is the Everyman in the story - down-to-earth, a basic man (or, rather, hobbit) with simple needs and desires, hoping to live a simple life while remaining true to the values on which he was raised: friendship, loyalty, hard work, honorable behavior. If the Fellowship of the Ring were renamed the Friendship of the Ring, then Sam is its staunchest member and the truest friend anyone could ever want. He is the Everyman at his best. </font><br /><br />I agree. There have been several comments regarding Sam as "Everyman" in the past. It's obvious. Maybe that's why I like him so.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">Most people who analyze LOTR disagree with that interpretation, according to what I've read. Frodo is supposed to be our Everyman, but, obviously, I disagree.</font><br /><br />Frodo is a classic "Hero" on a Heroic Journey. However, he is incredibly introspective and serves as a translator for every parable along the way. Maybe this is why some call him an Everyman character. Frodo starts as an innocent, even more than Samwise. Samwise is an innocent as well but only in that there are certain things that Sam recognizes as beyond him. So, he doesn't dwell on them but handles them as they come. Sam is, in some ways, the Guardian. He is Frodo's steward. As the Hero grows, Sam serves as a guide on how to remain true to himself. Of course, Sam's more practical nature comes into play as soon as Gollum is introduced. Again, an Everyman theme. But, as we saw later in the book, Sam's instinct turns out to be correct. Everyman plays on "instinct" and Same relies on it. Frodo grows and changes, finally becoming a true hero, over the course of their Heroic Journey. If I had to pick, after thinking longer about it, Frodo is a classic Hero on the Heroic Journey and Sam is Everyman.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">These are only parallels, of course, not perfect one-to-one corresponden</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<font color="yellow">ETAvaunt - Have you ever read Phillp Jose Farmers "Private Universe" stories? With the ultimate Trickster "Kickaha" AKA Paul janus Finnigan, in-again out-again Finnagan, AKA Horst von Horstman, AKA "That bloody redheaded, light fingered ratbag". ?.<br /><br />Maker of Universes is the first one. TOP NOTCH.</font><br /><br />I love those. I've got Bookclub editions around here somewhere. Most excellent reading! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[etavaunt]

Tell me, I never read Red Orcs Rage, because I didn't realise it was actually part of the stories, I read the blurb, and for some reason I assumed it wasn't really about Kickaha and company, was more like PJF doing a "Tarzan lives" on his own series of books.<br />What was it as a novel, and did it explain what had happened to Jadawin-Wollf ?

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Sadly, I don't remember. It's been years since I've read them. I'll have to dig around to see if I can find them to look it up. They're probably in some boxes somewhere. But, I "believe" that Red Orc's Rage was included in the SF Bookclub edition as part of the series. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Avaunt, thanks. No, never read much Farmer and now I barely read fiction at all anymore (too much time spent here?). So there must be some good stuff out there that I'm missing. Now I'll be keeping my eyes open for 'Maker of Universes.'<br /><br />And I have a recommendation in return: A Tapestry of Magics by Brian Daley. Plenty of people in the story can swash a buckle, but the author makes the case for the thinker as well as the warrior, and the hero manages to be both. Also features cameos by a well-known old Trickster from the old days. One of my favorite fantasy books of all time. Sadly, Mr. Daley is no longer among us, and will pen no more stories like this, and this is an especially good one. Check it out when you have the chance - you won't be disappointed.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>Samwise is an innocent as well but only in that there are certain things that Sam recognizes as beyond him. So, he doesn't dwell on them but handles them as they come. Sam is, in some ways, the Guardian. He is Frodo's steward. As the Hero grows, Sam serves as a guide on how to remain true to himself.... He's sort of a "good" Albatross.</i><br /><br />Yes, I see what you mean. In a sense, Sam <i>is</i> the Shire. So that the Shire never leaves Frodo and - while he left his home behind in order to save it - it is nevertheless the Shire which saves him. He does seem to almost serve as a spirit guide, as the magical aid the hero must have when he needs it most.<br /><br /><i>Is Aragorn actually Ivanhoe?</i><br /><br />Wow - never thought of that. But there seems to be something to it. The ancient noble house which has seen better days, the troubled engagement. Even the names - 'Arwen' almost looks like 'Rowena' misspelled. I've noticed in the past that Aragorn seems to have been split into two people: the Ranger of the North; the Ranger of the South. Making his other half Faramir. Éowyn stands in for Rebecca, and there is Faramir in the Houses of Healing. Looks like elements of this story did find their way into Tolkien's masterwork, and possibly not by accident. And, obviously, other stories, too - such as <i>Macbeth</i> (the forest which springs up overnight at Helm's Deep, the prophecy concerning the Witch-king - 'not by the hand of man will he fall').<br /><br />Never guessed that about the Ivanhoe influence, but I'd say you've found yet another story which Tolkien drew upon.

 

[etavaunt]

Hey, i held a copy once, I remember reading the blurb. Must have been in a second hand store . . . <br /><br />I will look for it mate, thanks a lot.<br /><br />They are republishing the World of Tiers series, the first two books are in one book.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

You won't reget it.<br /><br />Meanwhile, what about A_Lost_Packet's question? What sort of character gets your attention?

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Well, A_Lost_Packet, since things are so quiet right now, what about you?<br /><br /><i>What character is one of your favorites and why? What type of character, given the opportunity, would you like to write about or be interested in exploring?</i><br /><br />Which character has a hold on you, and why?

 

[etavaunt]

I have always had a liking for the "Natty Bumpo" sort of character, the Tarzan, John Carter sterotype.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />OK, probably destroyed my literature credibility there, but the truth is the truth. And Kickaha is THE MAN, of action heros. Some of the best lines anyone ever wrote for a hero to say.<br /><br />That is why I always used to hand a new friend, a copy of "Maker of Universes" and say "See this envelope on my mantelpiece?, well that has the first words out of your mouth when you see me, on completing this book"<br /><br />I will just send you a PM, titled, "What you will say"<br /><br />Don't open it, till you have read the story, then open it and laugh. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Only 6 words, but I have never been wrong.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<font color="yellow">Serak_the_Preparer - What character is one of your favorites and why? What type of character, given the opportunity, would you like to write about or be interested in exploring?</font><br /><br />Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever - Christ Figure/Inner Turmoil-Fatal Flaw/Fundamentalist and so much more. With such a character, you can bounce all sorts of interesting situations off of him and have him interact in any number of ways from the outrageous to the mundane. By far, one of my favorite characters.<br /><br />Sancho Panza - Everyman/faithful sidekick/loyal, earthy, practical and somewhat ignorant - Put the Sancho character anywhere you want to explore what the reader may be thinking about an absurd or fantastic situation or character. A little bit of humor and earthy wit mixed in and you can take the reader mini-rollercoaster ride. From high drama to comedy between two quotation marks.<br /><br />The Antihero - Well, there's all sorts of stereotypes for villains and/or anti-heros. But, to be honest, not alot of interest in them as a primary subject. One of the more interesting and powerful "anti-heros" I've read is Gerald Terrant from Friedman's "Coldfire" trilogy. A sort of sci-fi/fantasy mix series. http://www.flowerstorm.net/disa/Gallery/anti-tarrant.html Gerald is, perhaps, one of the most cold-hearted anti-heroes that somehow has a "good streak" in him I've ever read. For instance, the series starts with him sacrificing his entire family on an altar for personal power yet ends with him as sort of a redemptive hero, IIRC. I suppose it could be similar to Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone in some respects. (There's another anti-hero ripe for the picking.) Some could say that Covenant is the perfect "anti-hero" but I prefer to look at him in a slightly different light. The attraction for me in exploring an "anti-hero" is that you can concoct t <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Sorry to come into this late:<br /><br />I agree with your last comments there. I like the idea of SciFi as an unbounded tapestry in which to view our current state of affairs from new and interesting angles. I think good Sci-Fi goes/needs to go beyond classic archetypes. <br /><br />I, too, like complex, charcters that have the hero in them, but are troubled and may or may not find it. This mirrors more the reality in which we find ourselves. Potential for great good, for bad, but spend most of the time trying to muddle through things. Classic archetypes are more for entertainment and escapism than serious literature don't you think. <br /><br />For escapism, I like to read Jack Vance for instance. Wonderful writer. Great entertainment. Have you read the "Dying Earth" series. Great 'trickster' type central character. But it doesn't really say much about anything. His politics and social views are simplistic. I hated Niven's "Footfall" because the characters were so archetypical!!!<br /><br />I think this may be why I admire PKDick so much. His characters are far from predictable, are complex, and perhaps bounce between different archetypes in their journeys to enlightenment. As you say and I agree completely "<i>the story is in the character and the more complex and difficult a character is, the more that can be squeezed from them.</i>. Well stated. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>Gerald is, perhaps, one of the most cold-hearted anti-heroes that somehow has a "good streak" in him I've ever read. For instance, the series starts with him sacrificing his entire family on an altar for personal power yet ends with him as sort of a redemptive hero, IIRC. I suppose it could be similar to Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone in some respects....<br /><br />To me, the story is in the character and the more complex and difficult a character is, the more that can be squeezed from them.</i><br /><br />Feel the same way - life and its challenges are not always straightforward and simple. The more interesting characters are those who are confronted with this reality. Character-driven stories are about who we are, as opposed to the plot-driven tales which are about what happens to us. The Harry Potter series is the current talk of the town on the Web, and I think that might not be so much because Rowling writes burning prose and memorable dialogue - but because she is able to juggle both: character and plot. Firing from both barrels, her storytelling does all right.<br /><br />Anyway, a big 'me, too.' I like the darker, more intriguing heroes. Who must wrestle with their own inner demons as they confront the world's dark side at the same time.<br /><br />Probably one reason why I always preferred Spidey to Superman.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>For escapism, I like to read Jack Vance for instance. Wonderful writer. Great entertainment. Have you read the "Dying Earth" series. Great 'trickster' type central character. But it doesn't really say much about anything. His politics and social views are simplistic.</i><br /><br />Wow - and yes. Vance is a fantastic adventure writer. Who also errs on the side of the simplistic and traditional. But he does seem capable of occasionally making exceptions, of broadening his world-view. For instance, in his <i>Cadwal Chronicles</i>, the trickster character there displays an almost callous amorality - apparently in the name of aesthetics, of beauty and art - which makes him a criminal. Vance nevertheless allowed this character a surprising (even troubling?) degree of mercy.<br /><br /><i>I think this may be why I admire PKDick so much. His characters are far from predictable, are complex, and perhaps bounce between different archetypes in their journeys to enlightenment.</i><br /><br />Yes again. Well done, your selection of Vance and PKD as examples.<br /><br /><b>'I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.'</b>