Those Who Ask Too Much

[Peg Herring]

It occurs to me that really intriguing secondary characters are often those who want more from the protag than he/she wants to give. Sometimes it's "for his own good," sometimes he'd be better off without them. The situation creates opportunities for all sorts of things: depth of character for the protag, humor, pathos, and even tragedy. We all know the pressure such relationships create. The device is used so often it can be stereotypical, but when done well, it strikes a chord in the reader/viewer. We've all been there.

In families: Daughters who expect perfection from their fathers. Mothers who want to hold onto their sons. Sisters who demand conformity. Grandmothers who require attendance at family functions. They all put pressure on a protagonist, forcing him to choose between the independence he'd like and the family he feels indebted to. In stories like PRINCE OF TIDES, it makes everyone a little crazy.

At work: Leo, Joe Pesci's character in the LETHAL WEAPON series, wants the two protags to be his friends, but they'd like nothing better than to be rid of him. Much of the movies' humor arises from the fact that he's such a hard guy to like, yet they haven't the heart to totally reject him.

Socially: Friends often put characters into situations they abhor by asking for a favor. "I just need you to--" becomes the catalyst for situations that the protag would never have gotten himself into. CYRANO is a good example of the comedic results of helping out a friend.

Romanticly: COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA comes to mind. The tragedy of a man trapped in a marriage he constantly struggles to accept is hard to watch. Lancaster's character tries to force himself to give his wife what she wants from him, despite the fact that she is fatuous and repulsive.

In comedies, we enjoy seeing the protag maneuver to get away, to become himself and break free. We rejoice when we hear at the end, "Mother, shut up!" perhaps wishing we could say the same.

In tragic examples, the protag is pulled down by others, forced from what he wants to be or would have been. From it come great lines like, "I coulda been a contender," the ultimate realization that a man's path was twisted by the demands of others into something he should have known was wrong for him.

Comic or tragic, the skillful creation of secondary characters who act like vines, binding and confining the protagonist, is an important tool for a writer, and one for which Life provides lots of examples.

[Peg Herring]

Luckily for me (or not) I have lots of examples in real life right now.

[Dana King]

Good, and tinely, at least for me. I'm always looking for ways to add depth, as my stories tend to be too linear. I need some things that aren't sterotypical, and don't necessarily have to become subplots of their own, but will make some characters more real. Done well, this is just what I'm looking for, and, aas your examples show, I've been aware of it the whole time.

Thanks.