It’s time for another Character Under a Microscope post where we look at character development on a deep level. Today, I want to talk about your characters and compassion. You may have heard of the phrases “pet the dog” or “save the cat.” These terms refer to a moment early in the story when your protagonist shows compassion and proves to be likable. But today I’m not just talking about a scene that shows your character being compassionate. I want you to give your character kryptonite—one situation that he or she can’t withstand and must make better. It’s way more powerful than just a scene, especially if compassion can be shown more than once. Plus, it won’t feel like you just put an elderly lady in your story so the protagonist can walk her across the street and be called a good guy.
Compassionate Characters
I recently read a book about a character who was a steadfast, loyal man with skewed morals. He was portrayed as the villain, but I couldn’t help but like him. He had redeemable qualities, one being that he couldn’t stand someone being held captive. Whether it was a rabid dog or a grumpy man or an innocent child, he always went out of his way to free them. Sometimes that wasn’t the best choice (a rabid dog can do a lot of damage), but it made him likable. Though he lacked what I’d call a good moral compass, he felt compassion when presented with specific circumstances.
Everyone has something that ignites compassion within them. All people have a certain situation that will touch their emotions so deeply that they will be moved to action. A man who can kill people without any guilt will save an abused dog. Why? Because that abused animal brings out in him a moment of compassion. Similarly, a know-it-all secretary makes everyone’s life at the office miserable, but she always volunteers to work Christmas for those who have children. Her compassion is brought out when it comes to family time at the holidays. Whether your character is the villain, a side character, or the protagonist, you need to give them a trigger for compassion.
Triggers For Compassion
While the situations your characters face will vary widely, I’ve identified three types of triggers that most commonly ignite compassion. I’m sure there are other types, but hopefully this will get you thinking in the right direction for your characters.
1. Innocence
The first and most obvious trigger for compassion is innocence. When someone is mistreated, punished when he didn’t do anything wrong, etc. Children and animals most often are big symbols of innocence. People hate those who abuse kids, mistreat animals, or kill either of them. You can also carry this sense of innocence over to adults who are sheltered, people who have a mental disorder that gives them childlike qualities, or even a sweet elderly person.
To make your character’s trigger more specific to them, you can put more qualifiers on it to limit when they will experience a moment of compassion. Perhaps they don’t mind young boys being forced to fight to toughen them up, but they can’t stand a young girl getting the same treatment. Maybe they dislike cats and don’t mind them getting hurt, but they hate seeing a turtle crossing the road and getting into danger. It’s not that these people are bad. They don’t want cats to be hurt or boys to fight, but they won’t be moved to step in and fix the situation. But, if the circumstances are right, they will stand up for the girl or pull off the road to carry a turtle across to safety.
2. Fears
The next type of compassion trigger is fear. People feel compassion when they can relate to someone in a bad situation. Often, compassion is triggered by our own fears. The character I referred to earlier hated seeing others in captivity because he was afraid of being locking up. That fear drove him to have compassion on others and free them.
What does your character fear and how can it push him to act compassionately? Maybe she fears being alone and often spends extra time conversing with widows and widowers to keep them from being lonely. Perhaps she’s afraid of being overlooked so she always compliments others around her so they don’t feel invisible. It can be something big or small. The point is just to take your character’s fears and twist them into an opportunity to show compassion.
3. Past Experiences
The last trigger for compassion that I want to point out is past experiences. Like I said earlier, compassion happens when you can relate to the other person. Having a common shared experience makes it easier to feel connected to the person and want to help. A man who was abused by his father may have a soft spot for boys with mean fathers. A woman raised by her grandmother may feel more compassion toward the elderly than those her own age.
Look at your characters’ pasts, and identify what events or people made a lasting impression on them. Then find ways to remind them of that past in the story so they have opportunities to show compassion. The woman who was raised by her grandmother may be part of a team of bank robbers, and she see an elderly woman being mistreated by a fellow robber so she steps in to stop it. She is still robbing people, but we see there is a line she chooses to not cross. If you want the woman to instead be your heroine who is already good at heart, you can have her serve in nursing homes or always cook dinner for her elderly neighbor. These may not be big parts of your story, but they show the reader what your character cares about and when they will take action to help others.
Final Thoughts
I know this isn’t an exhaustive list of reasons people show compassion, but it should get you thinking in the right direction. Everyone has a soft spot for something and so should your characters. By defining what triggers your character’s compassion, you can find ways to weave it into the story in a more natural way than just having a “save the cat” moment. Readers want to like and relate to the characters, regardless if it’s the villain or the hero. Give your characters a little compassion, and it will go a long way in making your them stand out in readers’ minds.
Thanks for reading!
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