Changes of Heart
Character growth is a core component of storytelling. Every writing resource will tell you that it's important for the characters to change in response to the events of the story. At the same time, it needs to happen in a credible way.
The more drastic the change, the more dramatic the circumstances precipitating it.
Altering one's beliefs-- especially engrained ones that are fundamental to someone's worldview-- is also not a sudden process. Even with a good deal of surrounding drama, the character will most likely take a great deal of inner struggle and soul-searching before they're ready to adopt a new belief system.
It helps if the change ties into some seed planted in the character's backstory, or shown in their personality. Perhaps you have a 18th century slave owner who has never been to his plantation, and thus believes the propaganda that the slaves are happier than they were at home. If you establish that he's compassionate towards people he encounters in his daily life, it's completely credible that he would take up the abolitionist cause after someone introduced him to the facts.
For situations where exposure to facts isn't a key component of establishing worldview-- for example, someone converting to a different faith-- it's important to establish a backstory which makes such a private, emotional transformation credible. Some radical life change can often precipitate someone to seek faith or to doubt the faith they have, and the route they take will reflect their established personality (this doesn't mean their established persona, which may be different again).
You, the author, have to know when a character's change of heart feels organic to the storyline. If it's forced, your audience will notice. But if you let your characters be true to themselves, you can show a powerful story of personal downfall or progress.
The more drastic the change, the more dramatic the circumstances precipitating it.
Altering one's beliefs-- especially engrained ones that are fundamental to someone's worldview-- is also not a sudden process. Even with a good deal of surrounding drama, the character will most likely take a great deal of inner struggle and soul-searching before they're ready to adopt a new belief system.
It helps if the change ties into some seed planted in the character's backstory, or shown in their personality. Perhaps you have a 18th century slave owner who has never been to his plantation, and thus believes the propaganda that the slaves are happier than they were at home. If you establish that he's compassionate towards people he encounters in his daily life, it's completely credible that he would take up the abolitionist cause after someone introduced him to the facts.
For situations where exposure to facts isn't a key component of establishing worldview-- for example, someone converting to a different faith-- it's important to establish a backstory which makes such a private, emotional transformation credible. Some radical life change can often precipitate someone to seek faith or to doubt the faith they have, and the route they take will reflect their established personality (this doesn't mean their established persona, which may be different again).
You, the author, have to know when a character's change of heart feels organic to the storyline. If it's forced, your audience will notice. But if you let your characters be true to themselves, you can show a powerful story of personal downfall or progress.
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