Anonymous #1 1w

Good thing emotions that humans feel are not surface deep

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Anonymous #1 1w

Most black protagonists also have to be written as a struggling character it seems as well. We don’t always want to read about oppression in POC arcs

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Anonymous #4 1w

I mean can’t you relate to them with how you were when you were younger?

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Anonymous OP 1w

No not necessarily. Writers create character arc and development a lot to match the story. And especially if I’m reading something from a non realistic realm I won’t relate to them at all. I just think it’s fun to read

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Anonymous #4 1w

Yeah but often young characters are going through things like struggling with authority, relationships, place In life, growing up, bullying, isolation. This is true in real life and is often true across most genres even fantasy and sci-fi

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Anonymous OP 1w

Not all of it can be easily relatable to every person though. But I don’t tend to read books with a really young protagonist anymore. And the books I read when I was younger they tended to have better lives that me I guess. I don’t relate to every young protagonist I’ll read. In fact sometimes the way it’s written can make me cringe but the rest of the writing is so interesting that I’ll have to finish

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Anonymous #4 1w

I mean most people young people experienced at least one of those problems growing up that I mentioned.

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Anonymous OP 1w

Personality etc still apply though. So it really just depends on the book. I can’t just relate to them bc they got bullied or were young. Their life story can be far different than mine I just like reading the character development

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Anonymous #4 1w

I feel like it’s important for empathy to be able to find stuff you relate with on other people

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Anonymous #4 1w

I’ve rarely ever read a character’s story and was like “this is so me”. Maybe because I don’t necessarily go through the same arc developments they have or have done the things they encounter

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Anonymous OP 1w

Ofc empathy is a thing but you don’t need to relate to ppl for that to occur though

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Anonymous #4 1w

No I’ve never fully felt the same as one single fictional character but there is usually an aspect in every protagonist I can relate too and that’s across all genders and ages and settings

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Anonymous #4 1w

But if you got bullied as a kid and a protagonists is getting bullied you don’t read and feel like you can relate to their struggle?

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Anonymous OP 1w

I would say there’s a pretty decent difference between feeling empathy and truly relating to a character. I can empathize with Benoit Blanc when he has “Road to Damascus” moment but that doesn’t mean I relate to his entire character. He’s a very different person from me. Compare that to Father Jud who I can relate to because his multiple of his personal struggles, perspectives, and experiences are similar to my own

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Anonymous #3 1w

What about what I said about the bullying relating

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Anonymous OP 1w

I think the core issue here is different takes on what it means to “relate”. Many people in book communities use the term a “relatable character” to describe someone the reader can identify with on several levels, not just a singular moment or trait that they share.

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Anonymous OP 1w

I.E, a character is being bullied. I can empathize for them being bullied and “relate” to them on that specific incident. But outside of that bullying, they could have a completely different personality. They could be getting bullied for a completely different reason than I was bullied as a kid. It’s those differences that distinguish between a relatable character and a relatable scenario. Both have their place in media. And not every character has to be fully relatable to every audience member.

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Anonymous #3 1w

Social isolation is still social isolation. All roads lead to Rome for most deeper emotions. Just a different road to get there

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Anonymous #3 1w

I mean I’ve never found a character that I relate to on all levels. I feel like most people don’t since most people’s lives don’t follow the structure of a fictional character

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Anonymous OP 1w

It can also be a cultural thing. I don’t easily relate to ppl bc the scenario was relatable. I can empathize with them. Which is what makes the story emotional but my life was far different than that. I also hate reading all non white arcs with an oppression story line I do like fun light hearted reads a lot. I think coming of age stories have a lot of relatable content with their protagonists. But it’s not always relatable enough for me to see myself in that character’s shoes

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Anonymous OP 1w

Sure. And I never said it had to be a carbon copy of the reader. Only that most people wouldn’t say they “relate” to a character on just one aspect of them. For example: The Joker (2019 film). The Joker was bullied, and many audience members have experienced the same. Yet very few people would say they relate to the Joker. Why? Because very few people take on the same mindset as the Joker, which is one of aggressive revenge, instability, and violence. (1/2)

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Anonymous OP 1w

Those traits are far more fundamental to his character than his experience of being bullied. Some people will resonate with that. Others won’t because they had different responses to bullying. The human experience is very complex which is why we don’t “relate” to everyone who experiences something similar to us. My main question is: why does it matter to you so much about others relating to characters? Sometimes stories are just meant to show us a new and unfamiliar perspective (2/2)

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Anonymous #5 1w

It’s like that joke that one comedian made about men not understanding empathy. “Imagine if you were me.” “But I’m not” “No, you aren’t. But IMAGINE you were me” “I’m not though.” *Sigh* “Imagine you’re on a football team” “Ok! I like this game.”

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Anonymous #2 1w

😭😭

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