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One of my requirements for an MC is usually that he or she be sharp witted and astute. However, I recently read Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart, where the MC is not all bright, though not fatally slow either. The reason it worked, I think, is because the book hinges on a mystery to be solved, and i was as clueless as the MC about how to solve the mystery. How could I criticize him for being slow if I, too, were in the dark?
I'm curious how others feel about slow-witted MCs, whether it's a deal breaker for you. I'd also like recommendations on good books or short stories with slow-witted MCs.
I think the key is keeping the MC in character. I get frustrated when an otherwise astute MC acts stupidly or doesn't make the connections that he/she should.
And slow-witted doesn't necessarily imply "dull character." Dull is a deal-breaker. The story may be about how this person perseveres, and/or grows as a person, and that could be very interesting.
It also depends on the POV. If POV is from MC, you'll read a totally different story than if it's from someone who is capable of putting the pieces together and has to deal with slow MC.
[This message has been edited by LCastle (edited December 11, 2007).]
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Something I like about the Harry Dresden novels is that the MC isn't always right. He makes mistakes, some of them stupid, but he always comes through in the end. He's not an idiot, he just isn't the perfect hero. He does things that are wrong. He does things without thinking them through. And sometimes, he isn't the brightest crayon in the box.
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posted
"Forrest Gump" (novel, not movie), by Winston Groom.
"Of Mice and Men," Steinbeck.
And I like "A Canticle for Liebowitz" by Miller. While not specifically about "slow" people, it lends itself to writing an MC in the future, but with less knowledge than we currently have now.
For SF examples, look at the Rama series by Gentry Lee and Arthur Clarke. Specifically Garden of Rama. That story has a character (child of the MC) who has Wittingham's syndrome. Might be a good place to look for examples of mentally challenged people dealing with SF situations.
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I am struggling with how to write a slow witted MC for a story of mine. (In short story fragments--Absolute Acendancy). He needs to be slow, yet interesting.
My weak point is characterisation--most of my stories rely on plot twists, or action to keep them going...but I determined to pursue this story because of the personal challenge involved.
quote:I am struggling with how to write a slow witted MC for a story of mine. (In short story fragments--Absolute Acendancy). He needs to be slow, yet interesting.
I think with something like this it would be good to define why the character is slow, and incorporate these details as observed by other characters.
Is the MC absent minded? With this trait many other characters in the story would be reminding him things or giving him objects that he forgets to take with him (glasses, wallet, keys, notepad)
Is the MC a poor conversationalist? For something like this you could incorporate a lot of internal dialog for the character (I should have really told him off, that's what I'm going to do next time).
Is the MC not good at his or her job? The manager could be talking to the MC more frequently then the manager would with other employees.
Does the MC have a medical condition (Autism, Brain Damage, OCD) that prevents him from preforming normal tasks? The MC could encounter obstacles that your average character could easily pass (a door that has a broken lock, a man wearing a green suit).
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An interesting book with relatively "slow-witted" characters who solve a mystery is THREE BAGS FULL by Leonie Swann. The characters are a flock of sheep, and while they are very sheep-like, they are also smarter than anyone would expect sheep to be (they are smarter than my cat, for example).
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Speed of Dark. A great book. Won the Nebula. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. While the MC isn't "slow witted" his autism in many ways makes him seem so to other people and he often has difficulty with life situations because of the ways he experiences things. I think it would be a great place to look for this kind of MC and see how she handles it.
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Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson come to mind. Watson narrated the stories---but lacked the ability to see his way to the solution Holmes plainly saw. Hollywood tended to exaggerate this tendency and would often make Watson a real idiot, but in the stories Watson seemed only a few coins shy of what Holmes was carrying.
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I've read a few successful short stories with slow or even idiot MCs. These stories generally were built around how that character dealt with a situation in a special way because of their different ability levels. I'm not sure if that's clear. What I mean is that their intelligence level played a major role in the story and was part of what made it unique.
Whatever intelligence level the author chooses, I think it's important for them to be consistent with what they set up. What I really hate are MCs that are shown to be very, very, very smart and then do something incredibly stupid. For example, a book I read recently has a heroine who knows her brother is trying to kill her. Her bodyguards know this and have been told they'll be executed if they let the heroine get killed. Then, at the end, the brother comes to the heroine visibly carrying a weapon. In concern (in character), the heroine walks right up to her brother (out of character)...her guards allow this (way out of character)...and, shock of all shocks, her brother grabs her and tries to kill her. Luckily, the hero runs in just in time to save the day, and this rescue is the final thing needed to win her heart. Grumble. *tosses book into fireplace--literally*
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