Character, Scene, and Story
Page 13
2. Emotional state. Whether positive or negative, a character’s emotions can also create conflict. Freddie is nervous about meeting Max in a public place to help him escape the Nazis. This anxiety makes it difficult for Freddie to act effectively and authoritatively. What emotions could hamper your Character 1 during the scene?
3. Mental state. Ideas, beliefs, and memories running through a character’s mind can be another source of conflict. As he meets with Max, Freddie is aware of a man with a mustache watching him from across the park. Is that a gay man flirting with him or a police officer tailing him? Freddie’s preoccupation with such questions makes it hard for him to concentrate now. How might your Character 1’s mental state interfere with the scenic objective?
4. Behavior. A character’s own actions can sometimes be self-defeating. Freddie wants to convince Max to accept new identity papers and a train ticket to Amsterdam, but his fear of being caught prevents him from doing so openly. Instead he poses as someone who came to the park to read the newspaper and happened to meet a friendly stranger. This ruse gets in the way of what he really came here to do. How might your character’s behavior make the scenic objective difficult to achieve?
■ SOURCE OF CONFLICT: THE OTHER CHARACTER
The most common source of conflict in drama is the other character.
1. Personal traits. Character 2’s physical, psychological, or social traits often contribute to Character 1’s conflict in a scene. Freddie wants to help save his nephew’s life, but Max is a headstrong man who tends to leap before he looks. This makes him unwilling to consider an offer that does not immediately meet his expectations. Think about what your Character 1 wants now. What personal traits of Character 2 could make this objective difficult to achieve?
2. Emotional state. Character 2’s feelings can be another source of conflict for Character 1. Max has been on the lam with his partner, Rudy, for two years and has come to this meeting filled with anxiety. That emotional state will make it difficult for Freddie to get through to him. How might Character 2’s emotional state make it difficult for your Character 1 to achieve the scenic objective?
3. Mental state. Character 2 may also have ideas, beliefs, and memories that spell trouble for Character 1. Max is more attached to his partner than he would admit and came to this meeting expecting two tickets to Amsterdam. That expectation will create a problem for Freddie, who has arrived with only one ticket. How might Character 2’s mental state make it difficult for your Character 1 to achieve the scenic objective?
4. Behavior. In many dramatic scenes, conflict results because Character 2 wants something contrary or contradictory to what Character 1 wants. Upon learning that Freddie has brought only one train ticket to Amsterdam, Max refuses to accept anything but two tickets. How might Character 2’s actions make your Character 1’s scenic objective difficult to achieve?
■ SOURCE OF CONFLICT: PHYSICAL LIFE
Conflict in a scene can arise from the setting and what’s in it. Keep your Character 1’s objective in mind as you consider physical life as a potential source of conflict.
1. Setting. The scene between Freddie and Max takes place in a public park in Cologne in broad daylight. The public nature of this park adds to the tension between them. Anyone could be watching, and that includes the man with the mustache nearby. Freddie’s goal is to give his nephew the envelope in his pocket, but doing so could put both of their lives in danger if that man is a Gestapo agent. How might the setting for your scene add to the conflict your Character 1 faces here and now?
2. Object or physical element. The envelope in Freddie’s pocket is itself a source of conflict, because it contains only one ticket to Amsterdam instead of two. Max refuses to leave the country without his partner. Think again about the setting for your scene. What object or physical element here could add to Character 1’s conflict?
■ SOURCE OF CONFLICT: THE PAST
You’ve been exploring the here and now of a scene and how it might create problems for your Character 1. The past also can be a source of conflict. Max decided long ago to make his sexual orientation public and live a lifestyle that led his conservative parents to disown him. His only family now are Rudy, his partner, and Freddie, his uncle. It is Max’s attachment to Rudy that prevents him from accepting only one ticket to Amsterdam. And it is his sole reliance on Freddie that makes his need for a second ticket urgent. All of this adds to the conflict Freddie faces as he tries to save his nephew’s life. How might the past create conflict in the present for your Character 1?
■ SOURCE OF CONFLICT: THE FUTURE
The future may also play a role in creating dramatic tension. For Freddie, the threat of getting arrested by the Gestapo adds to the difficulty of coming to his nephew’s rescue. If he is not extremely cautious, both he and Max could end up dead. How might future possibilities contribute to the conflict your Character 1 faces here and now?
■ CENTRAL CONFLICT
You’ve been exploring potential sources of conflict for a scene. Some of your findings are more important than others. Focus now on what matters most.
1. Central conflict. Freddie wants Max to accept the train ticket that could save his life. Of all the obstacles standing in the way, the biggest is Max’s refusal to accept an envelope that contains only one ticket. This, then, is the central conflict of the scene. Think about the conflict possibilities you’ve explored for your scene. What is the biggest hurdle that your Character 1 must overcome to achieve the scenic objective?
2. Why difficult. Max’s resistance to Freddie’s offer is a big problem because it is fueled by high stakes. If Max were to accept only one train ticket, he could be sacrificing either his own life or his partner’s. What makes the central conflict of your scene a difficult problem that cannot be easily solved?
3. Why urgent. Freddie wants to give Max a train ticket that he refuses to accept. If this transaction were a routine matter, Freddie might shrug it off and continue on his way, feeling disgruntled about his nephew’s ingratitude. However, this isn’t business as usual, and Freddie can’t ignore the problem. His nephew’s survival is at stake, and this may be Freddie’s last chance to save him. Think again about the central conflict of your scene. Why can’t this problem be avoided or put off until later?
WRAP-UP
In drama nothing important happens except through conflict. There is always a problem to be solved. For each scene of your script, know what your characters want, what problems they face, and why these problems must be tackled here and now. It is through a character’s struggle with conflict that we see how important an objective really is. Without such struggle, the dramatic action of a scene may seem flat, and any successful outcome of that action may feel unearned or inconsequential.
Related tools in The Dramatic Writer’s Companion. To explore dramatic conflict further, go to the “Causing a Scene” section and try “What’s the Problem?” or “Heating Things Up.” Or go to the “Developing Your Character” section and try “Adversaries: Then and Now.”
WHY DID THE CHARACTER CROSS THE ROAD?
THE QUICK VERSION
Explore different levels of motivation for character behavior
BEST TIME FOR THIS
During scene planning, writing, or revision
THE WHY OF ACTION
Motive is a key ingredient in almost everything that characters do, from buying groceries to choosing a career to finding a romantic partner. For behavior to make sense, there must be a reason to act—even if it is a faulty or illogical reason or one that the character will later regret. This motive may be noble or base, healthy or unhealthy, profound or petty. It may arise spontaneously or after much deliberation.
Regardless of its nature, motivation can exist on two levels: the apparent reasons that drive a certain behavior (she works overtime because she is ambitious) and the hidden reasons that drive a behavior (she works overtime because she is lonely). Whether apparent or hidden, motivation reflects the fact that in the ey
es of the character, something important is at stake.
ABOUT THE EXERCISE
Use this exercise to do an in-depth exploration of a character’s motivation in a scene. Examples are from scene 6 of John Patrick Shanley’s play Defiance, which explores racial tensions at a Marine Corps base in North Carolina during the Vietnam War. Character 1—who drives most of the action—is Chaplain White, age thirty-five, white, the smarmy and unpopular new chaplain at the base. Character 2 is Lee King, age twenty-seven, black, a captain who was recently appointed executive officer to Lieutenant Colonel Littlefield. The relationship between the chaplain and King: fellow Marines stationed at the same base, with King outranking the chaplain. The main event of the scene: the chaplain tries to convince King to file a report that Littlefield slept with the wife of a man down his chain of command, a disclosure that would ruin Littlefield’s military career.
To prepare for the exercise, choose a scene you wish to develop, identify the two most important characters—Characters 1 and 2—and define their relationship. Then sum up the main event of the scene as you see it now: what happens overall.
■ SCENIC CONTEXT
Define the context in which the dramatic action occurs.
1. Setting. Shanley’s scene takes place in a park on a Marine Corps base, Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina. Away from the offices and barracks, this is where two men dealing with sensitive issues can talk privately. Define the setting for your scene.
2. Time. It is lunchtime. The year is 1971, when the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement have divided the world both on and beyond the base. Issues of race and authority are rocking the Marine Corps. This social framework will be a key factor in a black captain’s decision about whether to destroy a white colonel’s career. Define when your scene takes place.
3. Given circumstances. Private First Class Davis, a young man from the poor South, recently told Chaplain White in confidence that Lieutenant Colonel Littlefield had slept with Davis’s wife. Davis is so upset by the betrayal that he wants to be transferred to Vietnam so he can die in battle. To avoid Littlefield, he went to King for the transfer, but King denied it when he learned why Davis wanted to go. Davis then said he would ask Littlefield directly for the transfer, but King convinced him to wait and is now trying to figure out how to handle this potentially explosive situation. Think about the world of your story as your scene begins. Identify any physical, psychological, social, economic, political, or spiritual circumstances that could affect the dramatic action.
■ OBJECTIVE AND CONFLICT
To explore a character’s motivation in a scene, you need to know what the character wants and what obstacles stand in the way. Focus on your Character 1.
1. Scenic objective. Dramatic characters tend to have four basic types of behavioral objectives: to make the other character feel good, to make the other character feel bad, to find out something important, or to convince the other character of something important. The chaplain has a convince objective: to persuade King to do the right thing and report the colonel’s wrongdoing to the general. What is your Character 1’s scenic objective?
2. Central conflict. The character’s pursuit of the objective will generate dramatic action if obstacles stand in the way. These conflicts may arise from within the character, from others with opposing needs, from the situation at hand, or from all of these sources. The chaplain wants King to report Littlefield. His biggest problem is King’s resistance to doing so because it would destroy the colonel’s career and put King in jeopardy as well. What is your Character 1’s central conflict in the scene?
■ MOTIVATION
Characters deal with conflict because they have something at stake. At the scenic level, their motivation needs to be strong enough to keep pushing them forward until success or failure is reached. Two types of motivation may drive such behavior.
1. Apparent motivation. Sometimes the reason to act seems obvious. It’s what one would expect from this character in this situation. The chaplain wants to convince King to file a damaging report against his commanding officer. Why does the chaplain want this? Here are some apparent reasons:
• he believes that the colonel should be punished for what he did
• he cannot report the wrongdoing himself since it was revealed to him in confidence
• he believes it is his duty to fight evil within his flock
• he promised to help the victimized young man
• the young man could die if the situation is not resolved correctly
Think about what Character 1 wants in your scene. Why does he or she want that? List as many apparent reasons as you can.
2. Hidden motivation. Reasons for pursuing a certain course of action are not always obvious. In some cases characters have ulterior motives that lead them to behave in deceitful ways. In other cases they have hidden motivations that even they themselves are not aware of. They may be influenced unknowingly by experiences from their past or by subconscious forces. These hidden factors can be among the most powerful motivators of what characters do.
The chaplain wants King to file a report that would destroy the colonel’s career and possibly King’s as well. Why does the chaplain want that? Here are some hidden reasons:
• he wants revenge on Littlefield for humiliating him in the past
• he wants revenge on King for disrespecting him as well
• he needs to establish his moral authority in a place where most people don’t seem to take him seriously
• he feels insecure about his ability to administer his vocation and needs a success to boost his own confidence
Think again about what your Character 1 wants. Why does he or she want that? List as many possible hidden reasons as you can.
■ WHAT’S AT STAKE
What really motivates your Character 1 in the scene you are developing now? The following random list of motivators can help you explore possibilities for what will be gained if your character’s objective is achieved and what will be lost if it’s not. Use a simple 0-1-2-3 scale to rate each motivator, with 0 meaning that it has no relevance for Character 1 in this particular scene and 3 meaning that it is highly relevant.
• Love. From romance to friendship to spiritual bonding, love often motivates characters to act. Love has little relevance now for the chaplain, though he does feel some loyalty to the young man he promised to help. Love thus earns a low rating of 1. How would you rate love as a motivator for Character 1 in your scene?
• Truth. Sometimes it is knowledge that motivates characters to pursue objectives. For the chaplain, the airing of the truth is a key factor in his desire to expose Littlefield, so it earns a high rating of 3. How relevant is truth for Character 1 in your scene?
• Freedom. Freedom of choice, expression, or movement can be at risk in many situations but not for the chaplain now. Rating: 0. How relevant is freedom for Character 1 in your scene?
• Justice. As the chaplain tries to right a wrong, justice is a very strong motivator. Rating: 3. How relevant is justice for your character now?
• Security. The chaplain’s safety is not in question, but the young private’s survival could be at risk. Rating: 2. How relevant is security for your character now?
• Wealth. Money is a strong motivator for many dramatic characters but not for the chaplain. Rating: 0. How relevant is wealth for your character now?
• Pleasure. From sex to gluttony to aesthetic appreciation, pleasure is another strong motivator for many characters but not for the chaplain. Rating: 0. How relevant is pleasure for your character now?
• Power. The quest for power drives almost everything the chaplain does. Rating: 3. How relevant is power for your character now?
• Self-esteem. The need to achieve, protect, or restore one’s self-esteem, or sense of honor, is often what drives characters to act. For the chaplain, who is new on the base and has been humiliated by both Littlefield and King, self-esteem is a strong motivator. Rating: 2. How re
levant is self-esteem for your character now?
• Salvation. Many believe that redemption is the paramount value. Factored into this belief are notions of morality, God, and the afterlife. The chaplain’s need to right a wrong may be driven partly by heavenly aspirations, but this is hardly what concerns him most. Rating: 1. How relevant is salvation for your character now?
■ KEY FINDINGS
Sum up your findings and what they reveal.
1. Motivators by rating. Think about the ten values you’ve been exploring and how much or how little they motivate Character 1 in your scene. Group these values now by the ratings you assigned to them.
• Rating: 0. For Chaplain White, freedom, wealth, and pleasure were each rated 0 because they have no relevance to the scene. Look at your 0 ratings to see which values you can dismiss for your scene. For any of these, is it surprising that the value doesn’t matter, and if so, what does that tell you?
• Rating: 1. Love and salvation both received a 1. While they may motivate the chaplain’s behavior to some degree, they are minor influences. The chaplain’s disregard for love and salvation is a telling factor. One might expect more from a man of the cloth pleading the case of a victimized young man. Look at your 1 ratings. What do they suggest about your character? For any of these, is it surprising that it matters or that it doesn’t matter more?