The Mirrors of Fiction

If I were ever to write a book, I think that the hardest part would be to create a diverse collection of characters that didn't reflect me. It would be difficult to not make a hero character that had my red hair, irresistible charm, and incredibly handsome features! Haha, I'm just kidding. It is true, however, that the characters that I created would be highly influenced by my thoughts, experience, worldview, and personality traits. I wonder how various authors see their characters and how they develop them. Do the authors ever see themselves in the books they write?

I know that I often find myself in the books that I'm reading. In the movies and TV shows I find myself clinging to characters and feeling as if I have some sort of tie to that character. The question is, why? I wondered for a time if perhaps my seeing myself in characters of a book was merely my self-centered nature coming out...me thinking of myself more than I should, but no. That is not the case. Within characters of fictitious origin and through their action or inaction we can discover ourselves. We can learn about who we are, who we are not, and who we wish we were.

As a part of my recent desire to be self-aware I decided to engage in a little exercise. I began analyzing  my childhood favorites and began to search for answers as to why I loved them so much. What I found was very interesting. The following is a list of some favorite characters that I have held most dear and/or found connection with over the course of my life:

• Luke Skywalker (If you don't know what movie he's in...just stop reading and go educate yourself)
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (Episode I version)
• Yoda (Duuuuhhhh)
• Gandalf (LoTR)
• Elrond (Also, LoTR)
• Eragon (Inheritance series)
• Raven (Teen Titans)
• Batman (but not Bruce Wayne...which I find interesting)
• William Herondale (The Infernal Devices series)
• Clary Fairchild (The Mortal Instruments series)
• Pretty much any of the main characters from Avatar: the Last Airbender (each one for a different reason)

Many of the characters I liked came from the desire to be wise and be a person others turn to for support and guidance (hence Yoda and Gandalf), while others seemed to embody the loneliness and the feeling of darkness within myself while desiring to be a person of light and good (Raven, Batman, William, etc.) and others still represented my desire to be someone that rose out of weakness and mediocrity to become a person of honor and a protector of life and justice (Clary, Luke, Eragon, etc). 

Additionally, I found that I have a high view of words and language...almost to the point of believing that my words actually hold supernatural power (a doctrine often found in charismatic churches that I found appealing). This admiration for language and power in words only reinforced my love for the characters Gandalf, Raven, Clary, William, and Eragon. 

If you don't know these characters that's ok. While it would be easier for you to grasp an understanding of me through the knowledge of these fictitious entities, they are not necessary. So what about you? What can you glean from exploring your own thoughts and emotions concerning books, movies, and the like? What can you achieve from taking the time to pick apart your favorite heroes and villains? Think of the cartoon characters you associated yourself with as a child; of the books you read and the stories you most loved and the ones you most hated. Why did you like them? Why did you hate them? You might find out something about yourself that you never knew. 

It could be something as broad as something that encompasses human nature as a whole, or something a precise as unique trait that makes up who you are as an individual.

Through the creations of artists, play-writers, and authors we can answer the questions of identify and become self-aware in ways that would otherwise be harder or even impossible. I believe we can look past the shallow feelings of "like" or "dislike" and catch a glimpse or ourselves through the mirrors that are stories and fairy tales, and even through historical events and people long deceased.

Peace be with you,

Stephen

Imagine...

A young man looks up and sees a great lake before him, a great relief from the rocky mountains that his feet have had to endure for so long. He rushes into the water and takes in the coolness and the refreshing feel of liquid washing away the sweat and grime that he has had to live with for weeks on end. What joy! What relief! He is back to the land of his origin, to the familiar and the comfortable...or then again, not...so...comfortable. 

Words began to form in the back of his mind...as if echoing from a great distance saying, 

"My dear traveler, how long has your soul been at ease though wounds and pain you have endured? You have seen great joy and great sorrow; the journey has taken its toll. Traveler, you have returned from your journeys and you have brought your scars...but have you forgotten why you have those scars? War. 

"Do you not remember why you began your journey?A song. A song called to you from the depth, oh traveler. Do you not remember? It filled your heart with dread, yet you could not escape desire for it. It seemed like the very notes of your heart were being played for the first time and Life came and she led you away...to pain and purging she led you away. 

"Now you have returned to your place of 'comfort', just as blind as you were before. That song led you away and transformed you; brought forth the Light within your soul. You were pulled away so that you could find strength; you were drawn from chaos so that you might have order...that through war you might find strength and the peace that would complete you. Your journey wasn't over. Be careful, lest you be enslaved again." 

Suddenly...his eyes are open...

Out of the water the young traveler rushes with all ferocity and speed! It is too late. Darkness rolls over the mountains like smoke pouring over a balcony and his way out is blocked. Fear grips the young man's mind and instantly he runs for his sack. There is little time and he knows it. With all haste he pulls out rags and bandages his open wounds, wraps his wrists and ankles, and grabs his staff. He stands and prays that he can defend himself against what he knows is about to come. 

The lake that was a source of delight and relief just moments ago, was now churning with fury and hatred, beckoning the still weak and weary traveler to come and drown. It seemed like the joy and the life within him was being siphoned out of him, as if the very air he breathed was being taken from his nostrils. Despair stabs his heart as a great sea serpent bubbles out of the deep, letting out a roar that would turn the hearts of even the most hardened of men. 

Now, I am no writer (at least not in terms of fiction), but I do have an active imagination. One that I should probably exercise a little more often to be honest. How about you? How long have you gone without using your imagination? Can you see this taking place. If you are a guy then you might even be seeing yourself in this story. If you are a girl then you are daydreaming about someone you like or making up your dream guy, or perhaps you are THAT kinda person and decided to exchange all the "he's" for "she's" and the "his'" for "her's", and all of those are perfectly fine.

So you are probably trying to figure out why the heck I took the time to write all this. Don't worry, I have several perfectly good reasons.

1) In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth...and He said "Let Us make man in Our Image." and the rest is history. Granted, I took two totally separate scriptures and put them side by side...ok yes, yellow flag in most cases. I do not believe, however, that in my doing so I am changing the context or meaning that we can derive from scripture. God is creative. This is evidenced by the World that surrounds us on a daily basis!

Such beauty and wonder. Each of our lives, whether good or...not so good, are pieces of art that display the image of God and the beauty of our Creator. God is creative, and as a part of being made in the image of God...so are we.

It is God glorifying that we should use our imaginations that He has given to us to create, to describe, or even to prescribe reality.

2)I wanted to write out a metaphor that reflected my perspective of my current place in life spiritually, emotionally, psychologically (which I call the Great Trifectoid see previous post). I wanted to do this for the sake of processing my own thoughts and feelings, but to also help give others a chance to see things a new perspective. That maybe others feel the same way as I do at this moment, or perhaps to help others who don't feel the same way to have an avenue in which they might be able to grasp such a feeling.

3) By golly I wanted to to improve my skills in creative writing.

So now that you have had a chance to read a little bit into my soul, lets continue on. The rest will be created by drawing from the hope and the desires I have within me for my present and my future...leading to the ending that I want most, what I aim for most, and truly believe will be the outcome in reality.

The terrible, scaly creature stared menacingly into the eyes of the quivering soul that stood on the edge of the bubbling cauldron. Stone cold, the young traveler (who felt very much like a little child again) stood frozen in terror and in anger with himself. Why had he ended up here? How could he have come so far just to fall at the gnashing teeth of the beast that once enslaved him so long ago? 

And there is was...faint at first, but it was definitely there. The Voice...the Voice that sang from the echoing depths of eternity and straight into the young man's soul began to speak again. It said, "Test the waters. Your end is not here." and with that strength rushed into him as if from some unknown  source and courage overtook him. He stood tall and held his staff in hand. Eyes locked with the beast, he bid the monster to come and die.

Never had there been such a fire as that which lit up within him as he ran across the rocks and the waves. He wasn't sure how he was running across the churning waters (and it is uncertain whether he even realized it till after the battle was over), but in the moment it was irrelevant. All that mattered was victory. He had no choice; there was no running, no turning back now. It was win...or die. 

The serpent dived and surfaced in many attempts to strike the traveler down, but to no avail! He was too fast for the serpent and he glided across the water if he were one with it. He struck at the great sea monster every chance he could and it screamed with pain as energy and flames burst from his staff, but none of the attacks were enough to slay the creature. 

The battle raged for over an hour, but to the traveler it seemed like an eternity. Despite his new found strength and vigor, it did not appear that it was going to be enough to fight. How could he win with just a mere staff. Suddenly a sword appeared in his hand and the Voice spoke saying, "You will never fight alone, my dear traveler. I started you on this journey and I will see you through to the end." Words began to fill his mouth and a language he did not know came forth. As he stood hovering over the water staring at the monster, now turning and rushing toward him, the young man who had become more than a mere traveler readied himself and screamed the words that poured from his soul! 

Wind and water swirled around him and launched him towards the throat of his assailant and sliced through the neck of the great monster...then landed on the other side of the sea of water. The battle was finally won. 

"What happened then?" you might ask. The traveler picked up his things and kept going. The journey was not over and in his heart he knew there were many more such demons that lay in the path before him; many of which were not his own to fight. The sword now gone, he continued on with nothing more than his staff and his clothes to behold the wondrous adventures that lie ahead.