one thing that i really really enjoy about ryland grace’s character is that his main character flaw (cowardice)…
a.) isn’t generally perceived to be a “positive flaw” (eg. stubbornness, pride, martyrdom, etc (while these are all flaws, they’re generally warped as just behaviors and occasionally twisted back into being a “good thing” instead of being played as a genuine flaw))
and b.) isn’t ignored or erased by the narrative or fans
being a little cowardly and selfish is a KEY part of grace’s character. and those character flaws aren’t the common charismatic ones that we see in a lot of media these days! at least not in main characters- side characters may have similar flaws and cruxes, but so rarely does the main character in a narrative have a flaw like that that’s generally perceived as unattractive and doesn’t wrap around to somehow being a positive thing.
geace didn’t want to go on the mission because he didn’t want to die. this is self preservation. this is true.
grace also wasn’t moved enough by the entire rest of Earth’s population facing a mass extinction event to sacrifice himself. his student’s lives weren’t enough to convince him. in fact, when faced with being forced onto the ship, grace threatened to sabotage the entire mission and essentially condemn Earth to death. this is also true.
and while grace definitely grows through the progression of the book/movie (i really love how grace draws bravery and courage from the person he thought he was, but that’s a whole other text post), he pretty clearly still struggles with drawing past these clear character flaws that continuously test him throughout the book!!!
grace runs from the science field when he’s faced with backlash. he runs from phm when given the opportunity to save Earth. these two giant points make all of grace’s growth that much more impactful throughout the narrative!
i think holding these two fundamental truths of grace’s character beside one another even though they clash makes his character that much richer! let your characters have flaws that the reader/watcher might dislike! give your characters nuance and complexity!! let ryland grace make mistakes and fall into old habits and have to continuously work to find bravery within himself when he’s failed to do so before!!!!!
i dunno i just think it makes grace feel incredibly human and realistic. in a world full of carbon copy morally-grey characters and boring character traits, letting your main character be consistently flawed and struggle to act beyond those flaws is such a breath of fresh air.
discoholicmusic
jbbartram-illu
origamiaround
germansingergirl
janainaart
kaledo-art
