« what a girl wants in a fictional hero | Main | really deep water, and pencils »
imperfections
The trait I found most difficult to articulate was what I've called insensitive/oblivious. What I mean by that is, a male character who retreats so far into himself that he doesn't notice what other characters might be experiencing, or suffering. This might be a self-protective mechanism or simply a lack of empathy, and it's a pretty serious flaw for a main character in a love story of any kind. The prime example here is Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, in which he (as she says) insults her in every possible way, and still thinks he's doing her a great honor. Niccolo van der Poele is, of all these seven, the most astute. His understanding of others is so intuitive and exact that it would be a formidable weapon in an amoral man. While John Crichton is extremely perceptive, there is one incident with Chiana that almost earned him a negative, but not quite. Nathaniel got a negative here, and he deserved it. This is his biggest flaw, the occasional tendency to overlook things he should not ignore in the people closest to him.
FD Fitzwilliam Darcy Pride and Prejudice | PT Phin Tucker Welcome to Temptation | PdSC Philippe de Saint-Christophe The Bride of the Wilderness| NvdP Niccolo van der Poele Niccolo Rising| JC John Crichton Farscape| DJ Daniel Josselyn Hearts and Bones| NB Nathaniel Bonner Into the Wilderness
| is, or has a tendency to be |
FD | PT | PdSC | NvdP | JC | DJ | NB |
| conceited | x | x | - | - | - | - | - |
| condescending | xx | x | - | - | - | - | - |
| evasive secretive |
x | - | x | xx | x | x | x |
| opinionated | x | x | x | x | x | - | x |
| stubborn inflexible |
x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| impatient | x | x | - | - | - | - | x |
| insensitive oblivious |
x | x | - | - | - | - | x |
| prone to melancholy |
- | - | x | - | - | x | - |
April 14, 2004 08:38 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.tiedtothetracks.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-t.cgi/84
Comments
Sara,
I notice that every single one of these guys is stubborn/inflexible, and most of them are evasive/secretive and opinionated. Is this a trend that is reflected in your real life?
~Lanna~
Posted by: Lanna Lee at April 14, 2004 01:54 PM
Are all of these guys Scorpios or Tauruses? It makes me wonder...
Posted by: Jennifer at April 14, 2004 02:41 PM
Lanna, I think I'll have to plead the fifth on that question. As far as astrological signs, not a clue.
Posted by: sara at April 14, 2004 04:25 PM
JC gets no mark for "melancholy"? I'm reminded that in s3 -- while "MoyaJohn" had his arc that so many fans didn't like -- he got characterized as everything from "annoying" to "a much worse actor than the guy playing TalynJohn" -- and hardly anyone, including me, ever thought of the word "DEPRESSION," which actually was a most elegant explanation of his behavior. Also, re "Evasive" -- did I ever share with you RydraWong's musings on Browder's comment that JC is a guy who "is famous for always talking, but he talks around the edges of things" that is, is gifted at avoiding talking about what is going on with himself...?
Posted by: robyn at April 16, 2004 05:12 AM
Robyn, I was trying to distinguish (and maybe not successfully) between depression that arises from external sources working on the individual and a more basic, ingrained tendency toward melancholy.
I think that any of these characters, had they been faced with what John went through, would necessarily have shown some serious depression symptoms. No?
Of course, this may be an artificial distinction on my part.
And yes, we did have that discussion about John's talking around the edges. We could talk about John, I think, for many months (in fact, we've done that, haven't we?). He's a very likeable, complicated character in a very, very odd and challenging situation, and that's the stuff of good storytelling.
Posted by: sara at April 16, 2004 06:47 AM
Sara, I'm curious which incident with Chiana you refer to. :)
Posted by: elise at April 16, 2004 02:37 PM
It's not my favorite episode (in fact, I'd say it's one of my bottom three) but I'm talking about Taking the Stone, when Chiana goes to John because she is such pain about her brother's death, and he basically flips her off. I still think that the episode wasn't very well written, because that reaction of his felt out of character. It's not like he was in the middle of a gun battle or anything. He likes Chiana, she's clearly in pain, and he doesn't even look at her. Maybe I could take that from JC in season four when he's been through more and is under Noranti's influence, but not in season two.
Just my take on it, of course.
Posted by: sara at April 16, 2004 03:18 PM
So many things about TTS could have been done better, but I do love that last scene with John/Chi.
Posted by: elise at April 18, 2004 08:02 PM
Elise - I agree with you on that final scene, one of my favourites of the season.
Posted by: Meredith at April 19, 2004 08:21 AM
The ONLy character, here, that i can post to is Nathaniel Bonner... are you referring to him APPeARiNG iNSENSiTiVe/OBLiViOUS in his outward appearance? Or saying that he iS? Which i would have to disagree as i find him most sensitive to all and his surroundings... or perhaps i am just a tad smitten?
Posted by: joanna at April 23, 2004 01:31 PM