f-ckyeahfutbol:

ladyjmontilyet:

yet another post on my dash about how you should prefer Good and Moral™ characters in fiction because otherwise you might as well be supporting abuse in real life

That’s completely ignoring how rooting tor the villains can be empowering to the disenfranchised.

Some sociologists have pointed out that, as irrational as it sounds, many people, both when it comes to fiction and real life, will root for whichever side reminds them the most of themselves, even when that side is thoroughly immoral, totally unlikable or both. As simple as it is to always want to see people of your own ethnic group, religion, or social or political class – or who simply have the same goals or aspirations as yourself – triumph, it is understandable, because it’s easy to convince yourself that if they lose, you will lose too. [tv-tropes]

And besides, there are plenty of Good and Moral characters who have done things they shouldn’t, made mistakes, because they’re only human.

Because I’ve just finished rereading his trilogy, I’m gonna talk about Vanyel Ashkevron. The man has a talking white horse(Companion of Valdemar) following him around that certifies to anyone who sees her that he is a Good Person Who Can Be Trusted, and he still kills innocents in one incident.

He’d just been drugged, tortured and assaulted for days, so he lashed out once he was free, killing his rapists with his Mage powers. It just happened that a healer and a boy were caught in the crossfire. It’s only later when he regains enough sanity, that he feels guilt.

So, really, stop expecting even the Good and Moral characters to react with inhuman goodness to everything that happens to them.

On a side note, Vanyel’s first boyfriend is something of an antagonist in the first book, and downright villainously insane by the time of his death. But his twin had been killed in a feud, and they were linked mind-to-mind when it happened, so Tylendel swore revenge. This even with the talking white horse following him around, until she sacrifices herself to save the people he intended to kill.

Hah, this became an essay. Anyway, you see my point.