In every story, there are main characters, side characters, and minor characters. The main characters are the characters which are most central to the story, while side characters are connected to the main characters. Minor characters, however, are characters that only have a few pieces on dialouge, and not many readers would even remember their names. Despite this, I find minor characters to be central in creating an inveloping story that readers will truly feel connected to.
Any who know me know I'm a tad bit obsessed with Terry Pratchett, and a large reason for that is he truly gives every character a reason. There is no character meant to be a punching bag, or more importantly (to me at least), there is no character that simply exists to push a story along. Every character is meant to be in the story, and is meant to be impactful.
Spoilers for Thud! by Terry Pratchett.
In Thud!, it is very clear that Sam Vimes would do anything for his family. Throughout the eight book series, the reader watches him go from a drunk, run-down copper to a man who cares deeply about his job, The People (if there is such a thing), and his wife and son. When four dwarves try to keep him out of dwarvish murdering sprees by attacking his wife and son, it enrages him. In the previous book, he is fully ready to sacrifice his life so his wife and son can have a chance to become who they're meant to be. In this book, when that is threatened, he states he would kill any dwarf who was involved.
Eventually, eight dwarves come offering their help, and Vimes is enraged that they dare speak with him when it is their kind killing each other, their kind who tried to kill his son. One dwarf, the name I can't even remember, then speaks up. He says that his own son was one that was killed in the mines. Vimes snaps out of his angry stupor, allowing him to think about the situation. Vimes has never believed (or been good at) politics, and when he started to think about this crime as politics, he stopped having emathy for the people involved.
Despite not remembering the dwarf's name, I remember the scene profoundly. The scene is pivotal to giving Vimes the drive to solve the case. This minor character, which I could not tell you the descrption of other than him probably being short, is what drives the story to finish, while making the reader step back and understand the stakes of the story. The families that had their sons taken away. Main characters are what make the plot, but minor characters are what make the story.
I love how this post brings a whole different perspective to readers. When reading a book, readers usually think that they should focus completely on the main characters, or on the important side characters, and often disregard the minor characters completely. This shows the importance of minor characters and reminds us why they are there in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI think this post is so cool because it made me think about an aspect of literature I had never thought of before. In particular, I thought your point about main characters making the plot but minor characters making the story very thought provoking. It made me consider how in a lot of my favorite stories the main characters push the storyline along, however, it is the side characters that make the world of the story feel real and engaging.
ReplyDeleteHi oops this is me by the way, I accidentally published as anonymous.
DeleteMaybe more people should be a "tad bit obsessed with Terry Pratchett". While I haven't read the book, I definitely agree that a supporting cast of side characters adds a layer of depth to the story that breathes life into the static pages. Characters are the people we care about, but the way they interact with each other is not only a way that authors mess up their stories, but also some of the best parts about novels which I love. Great post, I will try to check out Pratchett in the future.
ReplyDeleteYes! Every character is important. I kinda disagree though. Let me be real, I love this blog and all... but what would Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix be without Professor Umbridge? How would the story keep moving without her being an absolute nuisance the entire time? I understand what you mean when you say that every character should have role... but some characters need to be loved to be hated.
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