Homework time!

I have to write something today. My writing instructors are hovering over my shoulder (metaphorically) screaming, "Write! Write! For heaven's sakes, just write."

For those of you who asked (and made fun of my first choice), Herb Smiley is going to be the first screenplay I attempt. I chose this story because the characters are strong enough for me to answer homework questions with the least amount of effort.

Your mini-writing lesson for today: The main characters of any story should be the protagonist (hero/heroine) and the antagonist (villain). They should have contrasting flaws which cause a conflict between them; the conflict makes the story.

I tell you that so you can critique the following, which was part of my assignment for Lesson 2.

1. Describe your main characters.

Protagonist: Herbert Smiley
Flaw: Is overly meek and trusting. Believes you get ahead by helping others up. Follows the golden rule, “Do unto others”.
Protagonist’s helper and girl friend: Emily Rose
Protagonist’s helper and mother: Helen Smiley
Antagonist: William Kessner, protagonist’s boss
Flaw: Believes you only get ahead by walking over others. Follows the rule, “Screw others. Kindness is for suckers.”
Antagonist helper: George Blunt, a salesman at the used car lot
Minor Antagonist: Wyatt Kessner, the boss’s son.

2. Why are the hero & villain opposed? They both want to succeed, but believe in different methods.

3. When your opposites clash, will their contest lead to a higher level of truth, as in Hegel's idea of thesis, antithesis, synthesis? The antagonist will see that you don’t have to be walk on others to get ahead; the protagonist will learn that sometimes you have to stand and fight.

4. Is your villain the natural, logical opponent of your protagonist? Protagonist: Young & idealistic vs. Antagonist: Old & cynical

5. Does your hero have an incompleteness -- or wound -- which will make him/her vulnerable to attack by the antagonist and even bring about the villain's opposition? Herb is overly nice, which is the result of wanting to be the opposite of his father who was a domineering, abusive man. Herb's father abandoned his wife and son years ago, much to their relief.

Mr. Kessner's personality parallels the senior Mr. Smiley. This simultaneously attracts and repels Herb. Mr. Kessner is unpleasant because he spent all his time at the car lot making money for his wife and children and they abandoned him. They only loved his money because they never knew him. Mr. Kessner doesn't respect Herb because he finds Herb's niceness irritating.

6. Are your main characters the type who would stand up over time? I believe they could fit into any century, past or present. I think this story has been told many times before in various forms; its theme is evocative of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol in some ways.


Your homework question: What do you think? Do you love these characters? Are they real? Boring? Trite? Did you want to learn more about them, or did you fall asleep before you got this far?