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Quote by: Captain Cardio  In literature pretty much as long as human civilization has been around, from the bible to the matrix, there is frequently an 'evil' character or characters.
Is this common element of the stories we grow up with, and are constantly exposed to, harmful to peaceful human coexistance?
Could it serve as a roadblock between people trying harder to understand each other when there are conflicts of interest, rather than defaulting more easily to assume a lack of virtue with the opposing party?
Should our society try to do story telling in such a way, that does not represent the other side in any conflict as being void of common human values and qualities? |
First of all, no character in a story is void of common human values or qualities; if one were, it would be so alien that the reader/viewer would have no ability to relate to it. Take the Matrix, for example. Agent Smith has thoroughly human motivations: first he wants to escape a situation he doesn't enjoy -- more specifically, he hates his job and wants to quit, but can't. Then he is thwarted, more than once, in his efforts to accomplish what he wants, and he builds a (quite irrational but utterly human) vendetta against the person who keeps getting in his way. This obsession builds to the point where he defines himself by his enemy: the only way he can earn validation is to have Neo admit that Smith is the better man. He can't even find self-respect in having defeated Neo; he has to convert him, he has to make Neo admit Smith is better, or simply turn him into himself. Smith represents something very human, and very real: the desire to dominate and convert everything, turning the world into a flattering reflection of ourselves. It is what leads the U.S. into war.
But even if we take out the idea of humanity as a consideration here, I don't see anything wrong with pointing out the evil of one's foes. I think it best, in fact, to show better examples of what evil is so that more people know how to apply the label correctly, so that it is not misused. I'd like to see more literature and popular culture that explores evil, and shows it up close and personal -- warts and all, as the saying is. I think we should learn to understand it, so we can learn to either avoid it, or use it/turn it to our advantage, to whatever extent that is possible.