A couple of weeks ago I posted that I've been wondering about some tendencies I've seen in some Fan fiction I've been reading at various websites recently. I posted a question about hating Jane, and got a wonderful, thought provoking discussion. I would like to post another question I have and ask your opinions about this topic as well. NOW, I must start off by saying that I am not an author (yet??) and I appreciate every author's willingness to share their stories in this manner. This is NOT about any one story, or author, and I would like it not to be. I'm just commenting on one trend I've seen while reading both old and newer FF over the last few months.
I have noticed that more than a handful of the Austen inspired fan fiction I've read over the last few months has created "perfect" heroes or heroines. Now, we could look at this separately for out male and female characters, but I think it's fine to combine the discussion. I've seen beautiful, accomplished, perfectly understanding Elizabeths and Darcys who's only fault is being shy or guarded with his feelings. Now, I'm fine with the stories, and particularly understand it for a shorter story that may not wish to take the time to have the characters grow and/or work through their faults to find happiness as better people. Sometimes it's fine to start from a place of perfection. However, I think that it creates a story that leans a bit toward the enjoyable but bland category, kind of like comfort food, and leaves the characters decidedly two dimensional. I particularly feel this way when Elizabeth is portrayed as beautiful and has many male admirers. Personally, I feel disappointed in this change in Elizabeth's persona because I think it feeds into to many of the stereotypes of what beauty is that plague our culture right now. I fell in love with Mr. Darcy because he was attracted to and fell in love with a woman who wasn't perfect, or the most beautiful in the room (tolerable?), but that he became attracted to her because of who she was as an individual. She became beautiful to him as he came to know her. Also, a strong draw was that Mr. Darcy was willing to do some soul searching and make some personal changes to make himself more for the woman he loved. These two things are lost if we have a perfect Elizabeth and/or Darcy to begin with.
What do you think?
I have noticed that more than a handful of the Austen inspired fan fiction I've read over the last few months has created "perfect" heroes or heroines. Now, we could look at this separately for out male and female characters, but I think it's fine to combine the discussion. I've seen beautiful, accomplished, perfectly understanding Elizabeths and Darcys who's only fault is being shy or guarded with his feelings. Now, I'm fine with the stories, and particularly understand it for a shorter story that may not wish to take the time to have the characters grow and/or work through their faults to find happiness as better people. Sometimes it's fine to start from a place of perfection. However, I think that it creates a story that leans a bit toward the enjoyable but bland category, kind of like comfort food, and leaves the characters decidedly two dimensional. I particularly feel this way when Elizabeth is portrayed as beautiful and has many male admirers. Personally, I feel disappointed in this change in Elizabeth's persona because I think it feeds into to many of the stereotypes of what beauty is that plague our culture right now. I fell in love with Mr. Darcy because he was attracted to and fell in love with a woman who wasn't perfect, or the most beautiful in the room (tolerable?), but that he became attracted to her because of who she was as an individual. She became beautiful to him as he came to know her. Also, a strong draw was that Mr. Darcy was willing to do some soul searching and make some personal changes to make himself more for the woman he loved. These two things are lost if we have a perfect Elizabeth and/or Darcy to begin with.
What do you think?