Earlier today, I saw a preview of the film Maleficent and shared it on Facebook. I was so excited; it literally chilled me to think about seeing my favorite villainess of all time brought to life on the big screen (not to mention Angelina Jolie's timeless beauty matched the old cartoon version perfectly, and the voice, and the total awesome evilness...I could go on, but I digress). Lately, I haven't had too much writing inspiration myself. But something about that preview sparked something inside of me, a spark that led to me sharing that video with great enthusiasm.
Then I sat back and wondered about what I had just done. I was promoting a film based on the story of a Disney bad guy - and that's the part that I was promoting, the fact that it was about that bad guy (girl). And it suddenly dawned on me...What must people think?! When they see a conservative, Christian, homeschooled, housewife type like me sharing all over Facebook how awesome I think this movie is gonna be (a movie all about this evil character), what must go through their minds? They have to think I'm some kind of nut! Who wouldn't?
That's when I decided to write this post. I think it's high time I addressed a subject that I have for some time been very passionate about, and that subject is fictional villains and my obsession with them. Part of it is explanatory; but part of it is defense, too. I don't want people to think I'm a nut or that I'm some sort of 'dark arts' fanatic who's going over the deep end. I want them to understand that I am genuinely fascinated by villains in literature, why I find them fascinating, and why I would defend myself for it.
Let me start with the explanation - defining my obsession and giving some history on it. (If you are already totally bored, go ahead and skip a few paragraphs; if you want someone to sympathize with in your own villainy-obsession, read, read, read!) I say obsession quite liberally and by no means with its real definition in mind. When I say obsession, I really mean passion. I'm not the sort of person who spends all their time studying villains (not even literary villains). But when it comes to writing my own stories or reading someone else's, the main villain and their evil plot to destroy the hero is what I find the most interesting.
As a kid, my younger siblings and I played out stories together a lot. And my two favorite characters from fiction to play in those stories were the White Witch from C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Classic villains from some of the best in children's fantasy. My mother worried about my preference to playing the villain every time, but she never mentioned it to me until years later. At the time, she just let me enjoy my "obsession". I grew to love finding the best villains in other books, as well, even though I hardly knew why. And I focused much of my early writing on simply the hero and the villain. I wanted to have the best villains in my stories, the kind the audience loves to hate.
Now that I'm all grown up and starting to write real books, I've found that this fascination is something that many other writers enjoy, as well. There's just something about having a good villain (if the term can be allowed). Without them, why bother having a hero? And that's where the defense comes in - why should such focus on villainy be acceptable, let alone something to promote?
I once knew a girl who was taking a writing class. And when the teacher asked the students to "step into the shoes of the villain" so as to better write that part, this girl went nuts. She thought that such an endeavor was downright Satanic, and she wasn't afraid to say so. I'm afraid that many parents have taken a similar stance. Evil is evil; it's not something we should promote. Why should we allow it in our children's writing? Why should we watch movies where the main character is a villain?
Simple: without a villain, there would be no hero. I mean, think about it - if there hadn't been a Goliath, who would David have fought? And if he couldn't fight someone, how would he have proved himself to a nation that needed a warrior for its leader? Without the Dark Lord Sauron, how would the brave and noble Frodo have ever shown his true character? How would Faramir have proven himself to his father and his nation? How would Samwise the brave have ever had a chance to be brave?
There was a time once, back before the Fall of Man and the Curse, when the world was perfect, mankind was perfect, and there was neither hero nor villain, nor a need for either. But we don't live in a perfect world anymore. We live in a world that is falling apart, filled with villainous characters. The Bible never shied away from that fact; history hasn't shied away from that fact. Why should literature? After all, isn't literature supposed to be a reflection and illumination on real life?
Our world is dying for a hero. But without a proper villain for our hero to face, how would our hero ever grow strong enough to fight for what is right? Who would challenge that hero and cause him to make those tough choices? A "good villain" forces not only conflict and decision but also the building of character. As humans, we tend to just let go of things, to be content with what we have and ignore the deeper problems of life thinking they'll just take care of themselves. Villains force us to make decisions, take sides, know what we believe and either stand or fall for it.
If Hitler had never risen to power, a good many people would've gone on thinking that there was no reason to worry about the people of Europe. Germany was in a state of extreme despair and desperation. Hitler merely brought that to light. He also brought out the other villains that were already doing despicable things in the dark. Because Hitler went to war with Britain, because the Japanese joined in and attacked America - we were forced to destroy an evil that we might well have ignored until it was too late.
My final defense? God Himself has written out for us in His Word the greatest example of hero versus villain, and He by no means lightens up the villain or skirts the issue. Jesus Christ, our savior, has an arch enemy - Satan, the devil. Do we ignore that? No! So why should we ignore literary villains? Without our even meaning to, our stories reflect what we believe about good and evil, and the world and about God. Thus it naturally follows that our stories should reflect that ultimate conflict between Christ and Satan. If we don't provide a worthy opponent for our heroes, why should our heroes bother fighting?
Well, maybe I haven't convinced you that it's okay to let your kids write elaborately about their villains. And maybe you still think I'm a nut. But I've made my case. Whether or not it's worthy of consideration is entirely up to you. Just remember one thing about villains - it's okay to get excited about them when you realize that the main point of having a villain in the first place is to challenge the hero. The harder the challenge, the deeper the hero will become. (And in the second place, the bigger the villain, the greater the relief when he/she falls.)
So, I'm going to go see Maleficent when it comes out. I might not like it. But I'll go in good conscience knowing that my obsession with this master of villainess-ery is totally fine. What can I say? It's a Writer's Thing.
Sincerely,
Yours Truly
Awesome!
ReplyDelete