The Never Ending Interview: Day Seven

One question a day will be addressed, for as long as it remains interesting to me, and the questions keep coming.

Today’s question was asked by Matthew Hargraves @hrgrama59m.

Matthew: Which Fables character do you personally identify with the most, i.e., which is the most “you”?

Bill: This is the type of question that’s hard to interpret, because I don’t know that identification with any character is possible, advisable, or in any way “a consummation devoutly to be wished.”

All of them, or none of them, perhaps?

It’s not really the sort of thing that comes up when crafting a particular character. The questions that revolve around a new character more resemble questions about meeting a new stranger, than looking for things in myself. Who is she? Why does she dress like that? Is she smart, or an idiot? What does she want? Who does she want it from? Who does she love? Who does she hate? Why? What is she willing to do to get what she wants? What is she not willing to do? What are her causes? What would she die for? What would she kill for?

And so on.

Gradually, as I fill in answers to those questions, and about a hundred more, the character becomes less of a stranger and more of someone I know.

In some cases, the answer to some of the formative questions that make up her character will resemble the answers I might give to such an interogation. In that way I suppose there is an overlap of similarity. But not much.

Let’s imagine a hero who used to take joy in mass murder, and feasting on the flesh of those he killed. Let’s imagine he’s killed more than you or I could reasonably count, depopulating entire towns at the height of his depredations. There’s such a character in Fables. Do I identify with him?

Not too much so far.

I’ve never killed a man, a woman or a child, and I’ve never depopulated so much as a bungalow, much less a village. Once, while in the Army, guarding nukes, I was put in the position where I was about to have to shoot up to four people. That’s as close as I’ve ever come to committing deadly violence. The entire time I was having anything but a good time. Mostly I prayed help would arrive in time, or the four would stop doing what they were doing, so I wouldn’t have to shoot. I don’t think that incident comes anywhere close to the joy taken in killing of our Fables hero.

So, once again, no real area of identification.

(By the way, help did arrive in time to better control the situation and make it so that I no longer had to hold four people at gunpoint. I only mention this because you looked worried. It all turned out more or less okay.)

Also, I never feasted on the flesh of all those people I didn’t kill.

So, still batting zero.

But wait a minute. We’ve also learned that character also likes a good rare steak. I do too. He’s been in love at least once and gave his heart to her, without reservation. He loved her so much in fact he was willing to transform his life, pretty much from the ground up, to have a chance to win her. I did that once too, with perhaps a bit less of a complete transformation required in order to have my shot (and, unfortunately, without the success our Fables hero enjoyed).

So, all of a sudden there are areas of identification.

We could go on and on about this ad nauseam , but the upshot is, in the long run, we have a character that resembles me a bit here and there, but not in any substantial way.

I can be a bit of a smartass at times, and there are plenty of those in Fables, so sure, there must be some of me out there. Then again, I know many smartasses who are bigger and better and more accomplished smartasses than I am, so maybe it’s a bit of them that I’ve infused into those many characters.

I like a lot of things many Fables cast members like, but I also hate a lot of things many Fables cast members like.

I think I’ve probably made my point.

We’re back to the original answer. I both identify with all and none.

There are some stories where a particular character is clearly intended to be the author’s surrogate. I’m trying to recall a great example of one right now, but the TV is on, showing the Benghazi hearings, which vies for my attention, and so I’m a bit too distracted to come up with one. But let me assure you, they exist.

However, Fables isn’t one of them.