By Stavros Halvatzis Ph.D.
Paradoxical characters arise from the complexity of life itself. A paradox, in this sense, represents a deeply baffling complexity in a character navigating through life.
To create warring elements, you begin by establishing one and asking: ‘Given this element, what other elements might there be in the same person that would create conflict?’
Why Paradoxical Characters are Good Characters
In the film Erin Brockovich, for example, Erin’s paradoxes include her desire to succeed professionally, juxtaposed against her need to take care of her children. Her trailer-trash sexuality versus her ability and commitment to fight a huge corporation. Her foul language and aggression juxtaposed against her desire to assist people find their way through the complex legal system.
In The Matrix, Neo is a hacker and merchant who is wanted by the law, yet, he is the one chosen to save humanity. The irony is not lost on the audience who, despite this, see him as a kind of modern day Christ figure.
If we think hard enough about the people we know we will find some fine examples of paradoxes drawn from real life. It’s part of the fabric of character: the bible-puncher who is involved with a prostitute, the club bouncer who is putty in his girlfriend’s hands, or the sweet old man with a foul mouth when it comes to dealing with the payment of bills.
Introducing paradoxes, or warring elements, into your characters will inject verisimilitude and interest in the stories you tell.
Paradoxical characters are an important part of creating vibrant, interesting, and authentic stories.
I. What is a Paradox?
A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time. Paradoxes are quirks in logic that demonstrate how our thinking sometimes goes haywire, even when we use perfectly logical reasoning to get there. But a key part of paradoxes is that they at least sound reasonable. They’re not obvious nonsense, and it’s only upon consideration that we realize their self-defeating logic.
For example:
This statement is a lie.
This is the most famous of all logical paradoxes, because it’s so simple. These five simple words are self-contradictory: if the statement is true, then it’s a lie, which means it’s not true. But if it’s not true, then it’s a lie, which makes it true. Yikes!
In literary analysis, “paradox” can sometimes have a looser meaning: a person or situation that contains contradictions. For example, a character who is both charming and rude might be referred to as a “paradox” even though in the strict logical sense, there’s nothing self-contradictory about a single person combining disparate personality traits.
We’ll distinguish these two definitions by calling the strict definition “logical paradox,” and the loose definition “literary paradox.”
II. Examples of Paradox
Example 1
Nobody goes to Murphy’s Bar anymore — it’s too crowded.
If the bar is crowded, then lots of people are going. But if so many people are going, it makes no sense to say “nobody goes” there anymore. (It’s possible, though , that this paradox can be escaped by suggesting that by “nobody” the speaker just means “none of our friends.”)
Example 2
A time traveler goes back in time and murders his own great-grandfather.
Time-travel paradoxes are very common in popular culture. In this classic example, the time traveler murders his own great-grandfather, meaning that the time traveler cannot exist. But if he does not exist, then there’s no one to kill the great-grandfather, and thus he must exist. Logical paradoxes of this sort are one of the many reasons why time travel is such a difficult proposition for science.
III. The Importance of Paradox
Logical paradoxes have been used for centuries to demonstrate the fallibility of human logic. although logic is a valuable tool, it sometimes breaks down, as in the example of “this statement is a lie.” Philosophers and mystics often use paradoxes to prove that human beings have to approach their world using intuition as well as logic.
The literary paradox, on the other hand, may help “art imitate life.” The world around us is full of contradictions, especially when it comes to people’s behavior and personality. So when a character combines disparate elements, it seems very lifelike and three-dimensional. Most people are paradoxes in one way or another, so a main character who wasn’t somehow paradoxical could seem stilted or dull! Such paradoxes can also lend mystery to a story, which helps to make it more compelling.
IV. Examples of Paradox in Literature
Example 1: Literary Paradox
I must be cruel only to be kind (Hamlet III.IV.181)
This is a nice literary paradox, but not a logical one. Cruel and kind are apparent contradictions, but of course it’s perfectly logical to say that one must be cruel (in some minor way) in order to be kind (in some other, more important way). There’s no logical contradiction, and therefore no logical paradox. The character Hamlet, however, combines disparate attributes of kindness and cruelty, so his personality is loosely paradoxical.
Example 2: Logical Paradox
A Chinese folk tale tells of a blacksmith who created the best armor and weapons in the world. He once created a spear that could pierce any object. He then created a shield that could deflect any attack. When a young boy asked him what would happen if he tried to pierce the shield with the spear, the blacksmith realized he could not answer. Because of this story, the Chinese character for “paradox” is a spear next to a shield.
Example 3: Logical Paradox
Zeno’s paradox, one of the oldest paradoxes that we know of, states:
A man approaches a wall 10 feet away. To get there, he must first go half the distance (5 feet), then half the remaining distance (2.5 feet), half the remaining distance (1.25 feet) and so on. Therefore in order to reach the wall he must complete an infinite number of actions, which is impossible, before he can reach the wall. Therefore it is impossible to reach the wall.
Of course, we know from experience that it’s quite easy to walk twenty feet and touch a wall — but the logic shows this to be impossible! Although this was considered a difficult paradox by the ancient Greeks, most philosophers today believe that it can be escaped because the “infinite number of actions” theory is invalid. (In other words, the underlined portion is not a logically valid step, and therefore there is no genuine logical paradox, but rather a simple logical error.)
V. Examples of Paradox in Pop Culture
Example 1: Logical Paradox
In an episode of Futurama, Fry (one of the main characters) travels back in time to the 1940s, where he comes face-to-face with his own grandfather, Enos. He knows that if he kills him, it will create a logical paradox that may destroy the universe, but Fry’s clumsy efforts to protect Enos from harm put the pair in greater and greater danger. Finally Fry accidentally causes Enos to be destroyed by a nuclear test. (This logical paradox is resolved, however, because it turns out that Enos was not actually Fry’s grandfather to begin with.)
Example 2: Literary Paradox
In the television show House, the main character is a rude, narcissistic, and abrasive man who constantly alienates those around him. However, he is a brilliant doctor and deeply committed to saving his patients’ lives. Thus, he combines a gruff, mean exterior with a deep sense of compassion and morality.
Example 3: Literary Paradox:
I close my eyes so I can see (Fugazi, Shut the Door)
In the lyrics to Fugazi’s song Shut the Door, there’s an apparent contradiction between closing eyes and seeing. However, this is merely a literary paradox (or an oxymoron, since it employs a double entendre). Clearly, the word “see” isn’t being used literally in this case, but rather figuratively – closing one’s eyes to the outside world allows one to “see” internal truths.
The Irreconcilable Self: Creating character paradoxes
This week we’re looking at how to infuse our characters with irreconcilable conflict and make them, as Paula Munier says, “walking contradictions.”
Contradiction in Character
“You can build more plausible, complex characters if they want not just one thing but two that are in conflict,” says Nancy Kress. Karl Iglesias calls these two things in conflict “paradoxes–contradictions within themselves.”
“Simply stated,” says David Corbett, “a contradiction is something about a person that piques our interest because it betrays what we expect, given what else we know or observe about him.”
“Think of this interior clash as being an argument between two sides, raging inside the character,” says James Scott Bell. “Like the little angel and the little devil that sit on opposite shoulders in a cartoon, these sides vie for supremacy.”
However, “in creating genuine inner conflict, it is not enough simply to create inner turmoil,” says Donald Maass. “True inner conflict involves wanting two things that are mutually exclusive. It is most effective when it tears your protagonist, or any character, in two opposite directions.”
Types of Contradictions
Mr. Corbett lists six types of character contradictions, “in descending order, from the seemingly most superficial to the more substantial and meaningful”:
- Contradictions Based on Physical, Ironic, or Comic Juxtaposition.
For example, a homeless girl in full makeup and perfect hair; big guys named “Smalls”; or a guy in a suit drinking out of a sippy cup.
- Contradictions Based on Our Need to Serve Multiple Social Roles.
As Mr. Corbett Says, “The tension created by these two antagonistic impulses–to control our behavior so we ‘get along’ and to let go and ‘be ourselves’–forms one of the core conflicts of our lives.”
- Contradictions Based on Competing Morals or Goals.
For example, most people want to earn money, but they’d also rather be free than go to work.
- Contradictions That Result from a Secret or Deceit.
Where keeping the secret leads the character to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.
- Contradictions Based on Conscious Versus Unconscious Traits.
For example, a character can be consciously mean to their spouse’s friend because they’re unconsciously attracted to the friend.
- Dispositional Contradictions.
For example, a character can be violent in some circumstances and tender in others.
- Character’s Will vs. Character’s Flaw
“When a character’s will collides with an obstacles that occurs within the character himself, as when duty collides with fear, love with guilt, ambition with conscience, and so on, you have inner conflict.” (Frey)
What do Irreconcilable Inner Conflicts do for us?
According to Mr. Corbett, contradictions serve several purposes: They defy expectation and thus pique our interest, because we never know exactly which half of the personality will assert itself in any given situation.
- They can economically depict character complexity and depth.
- They can portray subtext (the tension between the expressed and the unexpressed, the visible and the concealed).
- They can depict the situational subtleties of social life.
- They create suspense, because we want to know what the contradiction means, and why it’s there.
- They can be used as foreshadowing.
“Inner conflicts make characters not only interesting but truly memorable to the reader,” says Mr. Frey. Also, “Inner conflict confirms that the characters are involved, that something is at risk for them.”
“The more you build the conflict into your character, the easier the story is to write,” says Cheryl St.John. Why? Because: “The most effective conflict is drawn directly from your story people. The conflict should be based on your characters’ goals, backstories, and motivations. It should represent opposing forces that come from within the characters themselves.”
How to find your Character’s Irreconcilable Conflict
Mr. Maass provides two processes:
1. Opening Extra Character Dimensions
- Step 1: What is your protagonist’s defining quality; that is, how would anyone describe your protagonist? What trait is most prominent in his personality? What kind of person is she? Write that down.
- Step 2: Objectively speaking, what is the opposite of that quality? Write that down.
- Step 3: Write a paragraph in which your protagonist actively demonstrates the opposite quality that you wrote down in step two. Start writing now.
Do this for a few more of the character’s qualities. “Go for broke,” says Ms. Munier, “the more qualities, quirks, traits, and tendencies you can come up with, the better.”
2. Creating Inner Conflict
- Step 1: Thinking about your protagonist in the novel as a whole, what is it that your protagonist most wants? Write that down.
- Step 2: Write down whatever is the opposite of that.
- Step 3: How can your protagonist want both of those things simultaneously? What would cause your protagonist to want them both? What steps would he actively take to pursue these conflicting desires? Make notes, starting now.
- Work on sharpening the contrast between these opposing desires. Make them mutually exclusive. How can you ensure that if your protagonist gets one, he cannot get the other? Make notes.
Eric Witchey echoes Mr. Maass’ processes and takes them a bit further (getting into character arc / inner journey, which we’ll get to later):
- Give your character two contradictory roles, and state them like this: Character embodies [one extreme characteristic] and [opposite extreme characteristic].
- Answer how and why the character got each of those roles. “It’s necessary to intuit the psychic whole that embraces the contradictions and not simply slap them together and hope they gel,” says Mr. Corbett. In other words, the same backstory should provide the how and the why for both opposite extremes. (We’ll get to backstory next week.)
- State your controlling thematic premise. Your thematic premise and your character’s irreconcilable traits should be closely linked. One should generate the other. This also dictates the next step…
- State how your character’s irreconcilable self will change through the story, and state it like this: Character becomes the embodiment of [characteristic that wins out OR new characteristic].
Mr. Frey says inner conflict “might arise over anything . . . anything a character might feel strongly about.” So what you want to do is impale your character on the horns of a dilemma. “You have impaled your character on the horns of a dilemma,” says Mr. Frey, “whenever your character must have or must do something–for very powerful and convincing reasons–and yet can’t have or can’t do that something for equally powerful and compelling reasons. You’ll know your character is impaled when he’s being ripped apart by equally powerful forces pulling in opposite directions.”
How to Show the Irreconcilable Self
“For a character juggling two values, both should feature in his thoughts,” says Ms. Kress.
One way to dramatize the inner conflict, is to show a scene (as close to the beginning as possible) where a character wants to do something and starts to do it (prompted by one trait or value), but then decides not to do it (due to the opposite trait or value). And be sure to also show “your character’s attitude toward his choice,” says Ms. Kress. “Will it be hope of eventually attaining the alternative he didn’t pick this time? Anger at having to choose? Resignation? Self-blame?”
For most of the story, this second value will continue to trump, until the character transforms and either chooses the opposite characteristic/value or a new characteristic/value. (Again, we’ll get to this more when we look at character arc / inner journey.)