The Dichotomy of Good and Evil in Writing

 

Most people, if pressed, would describe themselves as “good” yet only one fit that bill. Few would self-classify as “evil”, but there are those who relish in it. Truth is, good and evil are absolutes and there are no such people.

Yet holding a yardstick for benign or benevolent alignment is a hard habit to break. Why should you bother? I don’t believe you should as introspection by such tools promotes growth.

There are always going to be examples of people that make you look like Mother Theresa. Conversely, some may cast you the same circles as Ted Bundy. But the effort…ahh, that’s the rub.

Self-improvement is based on striving for something more. Society could use a few more Mother Theresa wannabes. Keep using that yardstick. Keep trying to be better.

This is assuming we are discussing behavior and intent, of course. But what if we aren’t talking about outward actions but a character’s motivation? Writers have to balance that unusual dichotomy of good and evil to express believable and interesting characterization and plot. Both are needed for the sake of interest. Think of your favorite writers. Do they do this?

I have read mainstream authors who have mastered the evil side fairly well and have made a pretty penny doing it. I have also noticed that a few of these authors struggle with their “good” characters. Without good, evil is also boring. There must be sincerity in the conflict or it comes across as trite.

The next time you read, or even watch, an interpretation of the oldest conflict known to man make sure you examine the spectrum between the protagonist and antagonist. The best developed villain ever is pointless unless you have an appropriate foil. Anti-heroes may be in vogue, but I still find them boring. I mean, who do you root for in villain versus anti-hero, anyway?

There are exceptions to this, of course. Genre and audience, for example. You don’t want extreme good versus evil in a children’s program. The antagonist there need not push the envelope. You wouldn’t want a Hannibal Lector in the Hallmark Mystery of the week, either.

Short stories are also an exception to this rule. The limitations here are such that characterization is rarely necessary. In horror anthologies, for instance, emphasis is put on plot and setting rather than characterization and conflict. It’s the nature of the short story beast.

For the novel, though, characterization is key. Conflict drives interesting characters. Delving into that contrast between good and evil helps foster excellent conflict.

Think of your favorite books. Are the protagonist and antagonist separated by a vast chasm of morality? Could one exist without the other?