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THE SUPPORTING CAST IN NARRATION, A GENERIC LOOK AT STORY ARCHETYPES[/anchor]
By Atlantic Friend
Just as “The Hero in Narration”, this article was inspired “The Writer’s Journey”, by Christopher Vogler, and “The Mystery Writer’s handbook”, written by The Mystery Writers of America, Inc. Though these two books are easy to read, they contain in a nutshell everything an aspiring writer needs – as long as he’s ready to do his share of the work of course.
It also owes a lot to the many, many books, and game scenarios I have come to read over the years. Good and bad plots alike have a lot to tell to any aspiring writer, setting up great examples to follows, or pointing out at great pitfalls to avoid. In this respect, I think it’s high time aspiring writers, who usually profess their everlasting admiration and gratitude for literature giants such as Shakespeare, Hugo or Dante, reward these unsung heroes whose shadowy influence is usually greater than that of all of the great authors combined. Yes, I mean the underdogs. Dogs so under their fleas get nosebleed at sea level : the really, really bad authors. You know, the dullards who should have kept their day job. A bit like the primitive hominoids we once were, let’s face it, the “authoroids” or proto-authors are a pretty embarrassing bunch. We’d rather die than be seen with, and by God we’d be right. But embarrassing or not, our forefathers they are. After all, we learn through trial ands error, and while I have never met anyone becoming an author because Byron or Tennessee Williams were good at writing, I am sure we are quite a lot who, after reading an insipid plot or watching a caricatural Z movie, decided we could do better in our sleep. So, be thanked, you utterly incompetent (and yet, sometimes famous) writers of all times, for the hours of boredom, disgust and sheer disbelief you inflicted upon us. Rest assured that, should I ever attain to the Hall of Fame, the last thing I’ll ever do will be to be seen with you.
Now that these much-needed honours have been rendered, it’s time for a little modesty. Bad plots, hole-ridden plots or utter absence of any plot whatsoever may be the trademarks of the Really Bad Writers, but when it comes to character flaws, we are all prone to stumble and fall into the bottomless pit of bad literature. In some bizarre defiance of the known laws of physics, a good story can actually fall if confronted to a lack of depth. To its characters’, to be more precise.
In the previous article, we have met the various forms that can be taken by the story’s Hero. Now I know last month I said we’d embark in a Heroic Journey in the next article, but I think we first need to get a quick look at the inhabitants of the stories before setting sail. This article will present major narrative Archetypes, along with their narrative function and possible use in an AAR.
Ready ? It is now time to explore the world of the supporting cast, and to see how the good use of Archetypes can prevent an pandemic of stereotypes.
THE FACES OF THE ARCHETYPES, OR “HEY, DON’T I KNOW YOU ?”
Myths, fairy tales, and novels are full of characters built around a few universal models :we can all recognize a mile away. Whether we met them in an espionage novel, or in an action movie, we are generally very familiar with them all. Take any story or movie : we know the golden-hearted whore will reluctantly help the hero, and we know the irreverent rogue will do his best to annoy the heroine before falling (and possibly dying) for her. We know the arrogant west Point Lieutenant will be humbled by his salty Sergeant and emerge a better man, just as we know the slightly demented old sage will provide the knowledge or technology the hero needs to keep the story going. In a way, it is kind of strange that we all know these apparently generic characters so well, recognizing their archetypical nature, and still often allow them to take us by the hand and surprise us. It’s as if they had the power to keep us hoping that, by repeating a similar experience, we’ll get different results. And sometimes, we do.
Psychoanalysts like Carl Jung believe the powers of the Archetypes come from some form of collective inconscious, which would be fuelled by stories and tales we hear or read as kids. The universal situations and characters of the stories would then become our first tool to decipher the world, finding their way in both the collective and individual mind. As you see, it’s some kind of a circular argument : the real world would provide us with the archetypes, which in turn would help us understand the world. Some writers, like Joseph Campbell, take a different stand about Archetypes, and see them as almost biological functions. In this approach, mankind use Archetypes in narration for the same reason our nose smell : we cannot help it because it’s the way our brain works. Naturally, for a writer the exact point of origin of the Archetypes isn’t important. The important thing is that Archetypes work, and that a gaining a deep understanding of their function is a serious step towards cobbling together a story that will get the attention of the readers. And an Archetype’s function, of course, depends on its nature .
The Archetypes most used in narration belong to no more than seven primary categories, which, from the most positive to the most negative, are :
-1- Mentors
-2- Allies
-3- Messengers
-4- Gatekeepers
-5- Tricksters
-6- Shape-shifters
-7- Shadows (or Foes)
Before you tell me that including the Shape-shifter category is cheating because it enables me to include as many different types of characters as I like and still claim there are only seven, let me stress the fact that the Shape-shifter is not a convenient catch-all category to include whatever doesn’t fit the rest of the list. It is, as we’ll see later, a category devoted to characters whose very narrative function is to change during the story. And since you want to get all uppity with your good uncle AF, let me let you in another little narrative secret : in many ways, the Hero himself is just another Archetype, albeit with a special connection to us, the readers.
Now, these categories are not meant to be mutually exclusive, far from it. In fact, only in the most basic tales – like the ones we tell our kids before going to bed, or the ones we tell our pals over a beer - will a character consistently belong to a single category. In simple tales, characters will tend to belong to a single category and stick to it, possibly displaying traits of another category for one particular scene. Think about “The Lord of the Ring”, for example. Gandalf is pretty much a Mentor throughout the first book, as he gives wise but withering advice to the Hobbits. But come the dangerous crossing of the Moria, the Mentor pulls his sleeves and gets to fight the Balrog – a task usually devoted to Heroes. As “The Lord of the Rings” loses the fairytale quality that characterizes the first chapters and evolves in a deeper, more complex story, so do its protagonists.
So the first rule of Archetypes could be written as : the more complex the story, the more permeable the categories.
THE ARCHETYPES’ BASIC MISSIONS, OR “HAVE TRAITS, WILL TRAVEL”
We won’t talk about Heroes and Heroines any longer, since we already broached the subject of their nature and narrative functions in a previous article. It’s time to focus on the rest of the so-easily forgotten crowd, the allies and adversaries, the obstacles and helpers, the meddlers and the passers-by.
The Mentor
As his name suggests, the Mentor is that very positive character who’ll help the Hero through his quest, usually by his knowledge and good advice, but also possibly by giving him just the gizmo he needs. The Mentor is the Hero’s mother, his teacher, his role model or that loony inventor next door who’s tinkering with the very fabric of space and time. The important part is that the Mentor is the provider of something the Hero needs : advice, knowledge, magical items or technological gizmos. Often, the Mentor is possessed by some superior virtue, be that in the religious or merely moral sense, meaning the Hero will only get something from the Mentor if he deserves it. Like Merlin urging Arthur to unite the Kingdom, or Gandalf trying to convince nations to get rid of Sauron for good, he shows the direction and sometimes bullies the Hero to usher in better times, if not a golden age. In this respect, the Mentor is a reflection of the Hero’s (and the writer’s) highest aspirations. He can also be what the Hero can hope to become, like Obi-Wan Kenobi to young Luke Skywalker. As a role model, the Mentor is often portrayed as a former Hero, who performed his quest and grew up as a result.
In an AAR, where we have to give readers a lot of information about the historical context, having a Mentor is always useful. This Old Timer will be able to tell our Heroes how things once were, how bad they became and how Better Times could be ushered in. A Mentor can also serve the Villain, proposing a very different perspective on the Better Times to bring. In both cases the Mentor can also provide a nice balance and cut the Hero or Villain down to size, by reminding them of their shortcomings.
Since the Mentor is a kind of power behind the throne, or a teacher whose pupil will equal and then dwarf, Real-Life History tends to overlook them. After the tragedies of World War 2, who will remember Karl Lueger’s anti-Semitic theories played an important part in shaping up Hitler’s ? Or who will remember Proudhon’s Communist theories inspired Lenin ? Mentors tend to fade away as their most talented pupils get all the attention, but they are there, powerful, influential…
The Ally
Obviously a very positive force, the Ally eithers rushes to the help of the Hero or is won by his cause. The impact of the Ally varies with his identity, and he will take many forms, from that of a lowly, yet loyal henchman or that of a powerful, independent character, as long as it performs his mission which is to lend the Hero a hand and make the Heroic Quest a little easier. Contrary to Mentors, who usually help the Hero by giving him information or some important gizmo, Allies give themselves and put their own life on the line. In some stories, it can be difficult to tell between Heroes and Allies, which can lead to gut-wrenching situations where a certain character, thought to be a Hero and revered as such by the readers, dies and this reveals his true self.
Politicians and soldiers will usually make the big battalions of Allies in a narrative AAR, with a smaller number of intelligence operatives. They can also be friends, relatives, colleagues or brothers-in-arms of the Hero’s, following him out of friendship or conviction. Allies are useful tools to keep the Hero from appearing too powerful, by making sure the heroic quest moves forward without having the Hero do everything by himself – which can sometimes be a narrative impossibility given the Hero’s social or professional background. An East Side petty crook, for example, won’t be able to get invited to a garden party at Lord Rothermere’s so he can see if a certain War Ministry official is giving information to the German Naval Attaché. But if he has for Ally a certain young nobleman down on his luck, then maybe he’ll be able to sneak in.
In Real-Life History, Allies and Foe alike have been a-plenty – and of course, are diversely portrayed depending on which side of the physical/cultural/religious war you are considering. A prominent Ally would be Kim Philby, for example – if you adopt the point of view of the USSR, of course. Under a British perspective Philby would probably be a Shape-shifter, if not a downright Shadow.
The Messenger
The Messenger is a neutral force, bordering on positive because he sets the story in motion by pushing the Heroine forward. In the very beginning of any story or movie, we usually see the Heroine before the Messenger arrives, either enjoying a peaceful life or being immersed in routine duties. Things are not perfect in the Heroine’s world, but she manages to make her peace with it. Once the Messenger has spoken, the Heroine’s perception of the world is shattered, and she realizes she has to commit and get involved. The Messenger usually is just that, as he is sent by some higher authority, whether from this world (representing the government, the Army, or just the Law) or from another (angels, demons, ghosts and divine beings sent by the Gods). He might be a one-scene character, or he could even be the main character if the story revolves around whether he’ll manage to convince someone to do something vital. In some genres, like Western, you can have Messenger Heroes, like the stout young farmer who has to cross Indian country to reach the cavalry outpost and urge them to go protect the surrounded settlers.
In a narrative AAR, the Messenger will naturally set various plots in motion, and will either disappear forever (the nondescript officer/clerk announcing the neighbouring nation has started shelling railways and attacking merchant ships) or evolve into another Archetype as the situation also required him to get involved (the Prime Minister announcing the King or President the country is now at war, and then starting to prepare the country for the coming conflict). As Messengers usually get no attention at all – let’s admit it, we all focus on what they announce – it could be interesting to have them reappear in the story later, in a more prominent role. For example, the young officer announcing the enemy surprise attack can prove to be an enemy agent much later, or evolve into a Resistance leader. They can be brown-nosing leeches who hoard much-needed information and only give the bare minimum, or they can be dashing and high-minded, leaving no red tape stop them in their mission of delivering the information they have.
Unless they ultimately evolve into a more prominent figure, Messengers go down in Real-Life History as a mere footnote, with the possible exception of those who brought vital information. Resistance agents like Michel Hollard, who passed information to the MI-6 about the ramps the Germans were building for their V-1 weapons, or Roland Duchez, who, hired to paint the walls of some German HQ, seizes the opportunity to steal the plans of the Atlantic Wall and manages to pass them to the Resistance and the British.
The Gatekeeper
Contrary to Mentors and Allies, Gatekeepers are a neutral force – bordering on negative since they’ll spend most of the story resisting the Heroine’s efforts. Although they are usually not the true villains of the story, and even if they can sometimes be the Heroine’s objective allies, their main mission is to stall her. Whether they do it because they are on the Villain’s payroll or because they represent a neutral force is . They are enablers, as they figuratively stand guard over a particular treasure, item, or information the Heroine needs to go forward in her Heroic Journey, and will only let her get it if she proves she’s worth her salt – this function is very much like the Mentor’s, except for the fact Gatekeepers do not want the Heroine to succeed. Getting past them usually involves a test of wit, ingenuity or fortitude, like a riddle to solve, or a proof she’s the right heiress to the throne. Even if they don’t – as in psychological dramas or modern stories where you don’t have treasures hidden behind an oak door – Gatekeepers are the characters who’ll clearly define a “before” and an “after” in the Heroic Journey. Gatekeepers don’t make for dashing heroes, but they can play a very important role in the shaping up of the main characters.
• Any narrative AAR will have swarms of Gatekeepers, of course. The salty decorated sergeant who finally and grudgingly accepts to teach a few tricks to his wet-behind-the-ears Second Lieutenant after months of being passive-aggressive with him is a Gatekeeper – and will soon become a Mentor in most cases. So is the Resistance member who finally trusts the Heroine after she helps free some of his network from jail, and who gives her information on how to contact the upper echelons is also a Gatekeeper. Gatekeepers can also be literally that : guardians standing before a gate. The Feldgrauen guarding the prison where the Heroine has been jailed are just that, hostile Gatekeepers who’ll (reluctantly) grant her access to freedom if she outwits them. Gatekeepers are very useful in stories, as they shed some new light over the Heroine and her quest.
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• In Real-Life History, one can find many Gatekeepers, and some of them have been of great significance. Ex-Chancellor von Papen, for example, performed the function of a Gatekeeper when he first tried to oppose the rise of the Nazis, and then opened for them the doors to legislative power.
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The Trickster
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• Here comes the perfectly neutral character, which cares little what’s right or wrong and keeps toeing the fine line between ally and nuisance. Their narrative purpose is usually to offer a counterpoint to the Hero’s self-importance or self-righteousness, and to fascinate the readers by showing a character over which rules and laws have little effect. Tricksters also provide the often necessary comic relief, as an old rule of writing drama is to make readers cry a lot, and laugh a little. The Trickster can be the Heroine’s friend, the Villain’s not-so-bright lieutenant, or simply a pet. Tricksters are catalysts, putting other people’s life upside-down without ever being affected themselves. That doesn’t mean Tricksters are insensitive cold fish : they’ll feel pain and anger and grief, but they’ll express their humanity by remaining able to mock Heroines and Villains alike.
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• Tricksters in a narrative AAR will probably be limited to comic relief, as the main events will be dramatic enough. In the middle of the chaos brought by war, political upheaval, we’ll appreciate to have somebody around who doesn’t let anything get to him. Or we will find it disturbing that someone could walk amidst the ruins of a bombed city and make cynical jokes about it, feeling bound neither by pity nor by fear or anger. If we start with a Trickster who seems able to laugh at anything, it can be interesting to see the evolution of a Trickster into a different archetype, as the character faces situations that will transform him forever. Conversely, the transformation of another Archetype into a Trickster can also make for some good story, portrayed either as the character becoming wiser or, in the contrary, as him losing part of his humanity and moving closer to Shadows.
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• Real-Life History is usually disdainful of Tricksters characters. But as all the Archetypes actually represent a part of every man’s and woman’s personality, you’ll find Tricksters in many historical figures. Churchill’s formidable wit, Hitler often ridiculous theories, Mussolini’s bombastic antics, their collective reluctance to let rules stand in their way, aren’t them traits of the Trickster, after all ?
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The Shape-shifter
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• This character has no constant quality, and in the story will be alternatively a positive and a negative force, alternatively helping the Hero in his quest and sabotaging his efforts. Shape-shifters turn from friend to foe, from lover to enemy, from associate to adversary. Wherever they appear in the Heroic Journey, they’ll either deceive the Hero or remain reluctant and exclusively temporary allies, if their loyalty isn’t downright debatable. Shape-shifters might seem a nuisance, but they are in fact characters pursuing their own goals, who’ll only cooperate with the Hero if it fits their agenda.
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• In an AAR of course, we’ll have many Shape-shifters. Independent politicians characters will usually be Shape-shifters, giving support to the Hero one day and taking it away the next. Nations as a whole can be portrayed as Shape-shifters, as they’ll cooperate with the player’s to defeat a common enemy, but will also pursue their own goals and defend their interests. A Shape-shifter could likewise evolve from Ally to Shadow over a particularly grave disagreement with the Hero, making for an interesting story twist. Yesterday’s allies become tomorrow’s foes, and what more dangerous foes than those you fought alongside with for years, who sat at your councils and were privy to your every plan ? Showing the widening gap between the Hero and the Shape-shifter, the increasing opposition would provide your readers with hours of enjoyment, as they wonder if the two characters will be able to find common ground again or if things are going to get uglier.
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• In Real-Life History, prominent Shape-shifters could be men like Daladier, who at first supported Paul Reynaud’s government in the pursuit of the war against Nazi Germany, but then pulled the rug under Reynaud’s feet as he joined Pétain in calling for an immediate armistice. They could also be men like the German General officers who, after years of serving loyally the regime, feel the need to plot against it.
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The Shadow
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• As their names suggest, Shadows are the ultimate negative characters, pawns and champions of the dark forces the Heroine is battling. Shadows are the Villains and evil henchmen of the story, and their only goal and purpose in the story is to defeat the Heroine. That doesn’t mean automatically Shadows are out to kill her, nor that their goals are automatically opposite to hers. In fact, bitter rivals, wanting to complete the Heroine’s quest for their own benefit can be portrayed as Shadows.
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• Naturally, Shadows are, with Heroes and Heroines, the bread and butter of narrative AARs. The evil dictator, the sadistic secret policeman hunting down the Heroine, the dedicated enemy soldiers, the Heroine’s opposite number working for a rival government, they all are Shadows, and the story resounds with their actions and nefarious plots. I wholeheartedly recommend making the Shadow Villain a true reflection of the Hero, by giving him a goal that goes beyond merely inflicting pain and spreading mayhem. The Shadow Villain will be more intriguing and disturbing if the goal he pursues is coherent in design and breathtaking in scope. Defeating a nation to plant the Villain’s flag on its presidential palace is boring. Organizing a complete New World Order around that victory isn’t. Remember what Hitchcock said : the better the Villain, the better the movie. A good motivation makes a good villain, a good villain makes for a good challenge, and a good challenge makes for a good story.
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• In Real-Life History, Shadows naturally abound, starting with the highest echelons of some governments : Hitler, Stalin, Tojo are good examples of Shadow Villains who had a real agenda. And generally their trusted (or not-so trusted) lieutenants, like Himmler or Beria, weren’t any better, displaying various forms of sadism, paranoia and megalomania. By extension, and supposing a black-and-white conception of History, every man and woman who served the regime our nations opposed have been (albeit temporarily) Shadows, whether we talk about the woman who anonymously denounces refugees or the lowliest soldier of the enemy army who grabs his rifle to fight your nation.
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ARCHETYPES AND IDENTIFICATION : A LAST SECRET
We have seen that in simple stories, characters usually stuck with one Archetype. But what og more complex stories ?
In more elaborate stories, the main characters will display traits belonging to several of these categories, either alternatively or simultaneously. To take a really complex story, and a different perspective, we have the character of Jaime Lannister, in G.R.R. Martin’s saga “A Song of Fire and Ice”. Jaime pretty much starts as the Shadow per excellence. Perjuring himself, killing children, blaspheming, nothing is too low for this man. He’s what Erich von Stroheim was in 1920s movies : the man we love to hate. And then as the story develops, we walk a few miles in Jaime’s shoes and discover that he has a twisted but very real sense of honour, that he’s capable of more than mere villainy. And it is extremely disturbing, because as long as he was the infamous villain, we felt happy with ourselves. However low we could stoop, we’d never be Jaime Lannister – he was the Monster, the Abomination. But as we follow him in later chapters, we discover with some uneasiness that Jaime Lannister is, in fact, very much one of us, and can even show qualities we’re not sure to possess ourselves.
How come we can develop such intense feelings of envy, unease or admiration for the Archetypical heroes and villains ? Well, in fact – and this is the real, deep secret – Archetypes in a story do not only serve to flesh up the supporting cast. They also are the various faces of the Reader. In Real Life, which has to be the most extraordinary story ever to be written, every character of our cast of billions simultaneously belongs to every category, depending on whose perspective we’d look at him/her. You, me, and everyone else, are a mixed bag of Archetypes.
In this respect the Second rule of Archetypes can be probably written like this : the more Archetypical traits displayed, the closer the character gets to the reader.
If we keep this in mind, it’s no mystery the Heroes and Heroines earn our sympathy throughout a well-written story : as they go through their narrative journey they display these faces. That’s how the Hero/reader identification works : we do not identify with the Hero ; quite the contrary, it’s the Hero (or Villain) who gets to identify with us, who becomes more like us. All good stories reflect our human condition, which is to be born, to grow up and learn, to overcome obstacles, and to complete our inner journey.
Atlantic Friend is a Fellow Of The Tempus Society and the WritAAR of Crossfires