This post was amazing. I agree that most of the “unlikeable” characters I’ve seen mentioned (aside from Snape and - Lockhart, I believe?) were women. And the suggested word replacements are spot-on.
I was just thinking about the word “unlikeable” as I wrote about Lottie Hazel’s Piglet. I almost used it to describe the main character, but thinking about it more, I realized that “unlikeable” doesn’t really say much about who the character is. It is much more interesting to understand the “why”. Why didn’t I like this character—is it their actions? The way they see the world? The environment they’re placed in? Because I see myself in them (and I don’t like it)?
I loved your suggestions for better ways to reflect on characters. This will definitely help me think more critically!
Thank you for the link to the Middlemarch read. I joined and am really enjoying it! I would not have found it without your post.
This post was amazing. I agree that most of the “unlikeable” characters I’ve seen mentioned (aside from Snape and - Lockhart, I believe?) were women. And the suggested word replacements are spot-on.
I love this so much: “I read to get inside people’s minds. Every type of person that exists in this world — I want to know about all of them.”
That’s one of the reasons I read, too. Thanks for this thoughtful post and for sharing my book list!
Thank you for reading!!
I was just thinking about the word “unlikeable” as I wrote about Lottie Hazel’s Piglet. I almost used it to describe the main character, but thinking about it more, I realized that “unlikeable” doesn’t really say much about who the character is. It is much more interesting to understand the “why”. Why didn’t I like this character—is it their actions? The way they see the world? The environment they’re placed in? Because I see myself in them (and I don’t like it)?
I loved your suggestions for better ways to reflect on characters. This will definitely help me think more critically!
Yes! The "why" is so much more interesting and allows for more expansive avenues of thought.
If you publish your thoughts on Piglet, please share it with us! Would love to read it