96. What Makes Good Characters? · Wisdom in the Best Books and Films Podcast · Radar

What Makes a Believable Character?2:11 – 4:50

2:11

So, Charles Dickens, when he made characters, I think the thing that makes his characters so good is that...

2:20

The wickedness feels real in the bad people, and the goodness feels real in the good people.

2:27

That there is a true ring to all of the way they come across.

2:33

That it's not just...

2:36

And actually, this is one of my biggest problems with Superman for superheroes.

2:42

The reason I have never liked Superman, and I know a lot of people do like him, so, you know, if you're one of the people that do love Superman, I apologize for this comment in advance.

2:52

But I have always felt like Superman doesn't have... truth in him.

2:57

He is not a real person.

3:00

And you can be a fictional character while still coming across as something that's believable.

3:05

The thing about Superman that isn't real is he's too perfect, right? And so we know that man is fallen and that we are imperfect.

3:15

Each of us in our heart knows that there's something wrong with us.

3:18

And I know that Superman is supposed to be kind of a Christ figure.

3:22

But the thing is, Superman doesn't struggle, and even his weakness, Kryptonite, I mean, one of the Superman movies, he can't stand up on an island made of Kryptonite, and then like five minutes later, he lifts the island made of Kryptonite and throws it into the sun.

3:37

So even his weakness isn't an actual weakness, and the thing about Christ that makes his perfection so amazing is that he... felt the pain and the struggle and the atonement was so much pain that we can't even understand it or fathom the depths to which he sunk in order to pay for our sins.

4:01

Superman just kind of has everything bounce off of him.

4:04

So I don't think he's a great Christ figure.

4:05

I don't think he's a great... representation of even something that you can look up to because he's not something that is attainable.

4:14

However, Charles Dickens' characters, people like Bob Cratchit, people like Amy Dorrit, people like Esther Summerson, or several, you know, other, many, many other characters in all of his novels, in all of the things that I've talked about on this show, and all the things that I haven't talked about, ones that I haven't even read, his characters are Beautiful because in spite of their quirks and inspired of their failings, they are good in a way that we can see ourselves being good.

4:48

They inspire us to be better.

What Makes a Believable Character?2:11 – 4:50

2:11

So, Charles Dickens, when he made characters, I think the thing that makes his characters so good is that...

2:20

The wickedness feels real in the bad people, and the goodness feels real in the good people.

2:27

That there is a true ring to all of the way they come across.

2:33

That it's not just...

2:36

And actually, this is one of my biggest problems with Superman for superheroes.

2:42

The reason I have never liked Superman, and I know a lot of people do like him, so, you know, if you're one of the people that do love Superman, I apologize for this comment in advance.

2:52

But I have always felt like Superman doesn't have... truth in him.

2:57

He is not a real person.

3:00

And you can be a fictional character while still coming across as something that's believable.

3:05

The thing about Superman that isn't real is he's too perfect, right? And so we know that man is fallen and that we are imperfect.

3:15

Each of us in our heart knows that there's something wrong with us.

3:18

And I know that Superman is supposed to be kind of a Christ figure.

3:22

But the thing is, Superman doesn't struggle, and even his weakness, Kryptonite, I mean, one of the Superman movies, he can't stand up on an island made of Kryptonite, and then like five minutes later, he lifts the island made of Kryptonite and throws it into the sun.

3:37

So even his weakness isn't an actual weakness, and the thing about Christ that makes his perfection so amazing is that he... felt the pain and the struggle and the atonement was so much pain that we can't even understand it or fathom the depths to which he sunk in order to pay for our sins.

4:01

Superman just kind of has everything bounce off of him.

4:04

So I don't think he's a great Christ figure.

4:05

I don't think he's a great... representation of even something that you can look up to because he's not something that is attainable.

4:14

However, Charles Dickens' characters, people like Bob Cratchit, people like Amy Dorrit, people like Esther Summerson, or several, you know, other, many, many other characters in all of his novels, in all of the things that I've talked about on this show, and all the things that I haven't talked about, ones that I haven't even read, his characters are Beautiful because in spite of their quirks and inspired of their failings, they are good in a way that we can see ourselves being good.

4:48

They inspire us to be better.