Struggle heroes?

Dear Gabriel

I am writing a memoir of growing up in politically turbulent times. Apart from the fact that this has been quite emotionally turbulent too, I am realising that there seem to be people who want to get involved and make a change, while others are happy to just turn a blind eye to injustice. Is this too simplistic? I suppose I am worried that my characters will seem too black and white – sort of like the good guys versus the bad guys. So what makes some people get off their butts?

Thanks

Nthabiseng

Hi Nthabiseng

Well the short answer to your question is that yes this is too simplistic, it is too black and white and the reasons are complex!

I think some readers (perhaps those who like Mills and Boon style romances with their clear cut character types) like their worlds to be neat and ordered. And I have to confess that I have a penchant for crime novels (and movies and TV shows) where the good guys conquer the bad guys. Why? Because it makes us feel safer and the world more predictable. A world where people are capable of good and bad, and where motivations and needs can run the whole gamut of greys from black to white, is a scary place to be.

But the truth is while we’re all a complex blend of mixed motivations and varying levels of engagement with the world, some of us are more driven than others to make a difference. I firmly believe that while most people just want to get on with their lives and will not become activists, others will want to become more involved. Why? Well perhaps they have had personal experiences of injustice and unfairness that draws them to the needs of others, and to causes which are bigger than them. Perhaps they are motivated by anger and rage which is never fully resolved, or understood. Others may have grown up in circumstances where their parents were socially minded and so they have imbibed the values of “getting involved”.

If you read the stories about political families, one theme that is identifiable is that of parents driven to make huge sacrifices for the cause, sometimes to the detriment of their relationships with their children. I’ve always been fascinated by this – the political movements have often rewarded these parents for their commitments to the struggle – but who salvages the lives of the children who may have grown up with key emotional deprivations?

I guess it’s these complexities and contradictions which intrigue me and remind me that there is seldom a clear good and bad. Some people got off their butts because this was just who they were, others were just trying to adjust their butt cheeks and got swept into the protest march!

Best

Gabriel

If you want to ask Gabriel a question about your fictional character please contact him on