[ SECRET POST #3261 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3261 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 052 secrets from Secret Submission Post #466.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Writing Argument-Redeemed Bully Character

[herpymcderp]

I think it really depends on the extent of the bullying, the details of the interaction, and the circumstances which lead/contribute to the bullying itself. It also depends on how well you detailed the response of the character on the receiving end of the abuse.

If the circumstances the characters all find themselves in are extreme or highly stressful and there are clear outside influences that readers can pinpoint that are contributing to the behaviour (or that are revealed later), that can make a bully character more sympathetic. For example: bully son has abusive bully father, or bully character is being goaded into bullying by a character that hates the character on the receiving end of the bullying. Alternatively, both characters are in prison or some sort of other confinement situation (zombie apocalypse, etc) and the external environment contributes to poor behaviour which that character comes to regret.

You also have to let readers know that the character who is being bullied has a reason to forgive that person. Maybe they're aware of the above, maybe they initially see it as an opportunity for revenge that later becomes genuine friendship, maybe they have worse enemies to consider and could really use the ally/personal protection. Anything that allows the reader to follow the rationale.

In situations where abuse is systemic (again, prison for example), it's also acceptable to have a bully character even somewhat remain a bully and still be redeemed just by realizing they've gone too far or turning around and defending the person they bullied. This situation can also be interesting if you take it in the direction of a Stockholm syndrome type of relationship- as long as you make sure to make your bully character sympathetic enough that the reader has a reason to root for them.

If you're deficient in any of these areas, then the majority of readers are just going to project their own experiences onto it and ignore the characters' experiences. In some cases that might be what you're going for, but if you really want an objectively redeemed character you need to do a lot of work as an author to make it clear that this is where you're going with it.

That said, there's no reason to not have a morally grey character. That might even be more interesting than a full redemption.