I used to judge fast. A character makes one bad choice and I write them off. But some books slowed me down. They showed me the why behind the what. That is when I felt sorry.
Theon Greyjoy (A Song of Ice and Fire).
At first I saw a cocky traitor. Loud. Reckless. Hungry for a name. Then the Reek chapters hit. The fear. The breaking. The smell of the kennel on his skin. I did not excuse what he did. But I saw a boy raised between two homes, never fully loved by either. A person who wanted respect so badly that he lost himself. I felt sorry because I understood the hole he was trying to fill.
Boromir (The Lord of the Rings).
I judged him as weak the first time. The ring calls and he breaks. Then I read it again as an adult. I saw a tired son who carried a whole city on his back. He wanted to save his people. He wanted to make his father proud. The horn. The last stand. The apology to Aragorn. I felt sorry because I know what it is like to be strong for too long and then fail at the worst time.
These moments changed how I read. I try to pause now. I ask what pain sits under the mistake. I do not always forgive a character. But I try to see the wound.
Who did you judge early and later felt sorry for?
What moment flipped the way you saw them, and why did it land so hard for you?
Thank you.
by gamersecret2
1 Comment
It’s also from GOT. I went from “I hate Jon Snow. So much.” Just annoyed me. Then by book 2 or 3, “I was like…..ok you know what I hope he gets everything. He seems calm”