My book club said my character analysis was 'too nice' and I had to rethink everything

Last month at our meeting, the group told me I kept making excuses for the villain in 'Gone Girl' (you know, like calling him misunderstood). They pointed out three specific scenes where I glossed over his bad behavior. I went home and re-wrote my whole take, focusing on his actual actions instead of his sad backstory. Has anyone else had their whole perspective flipped by a blunt critique from their club?

3 comments

3 Comments

susanm2219d ago

Oh I've noticed this pattern everywhere once you start looking. People have this automatic habit of making excuses for people who do bad things just because we understand where they're coming from. Like with that one coworker who snaps at everyone but we're like "well their home life is hard" when really they're just being rude lol. Or how parents explain away their kid's bullying by saying they're going through a phase. The book club was right to call you out because if you ignore what someone actually does and only focus on their reasons, you end up letting them off the hook. That can get dangerous in real life with actual people who hurt others. It's way better to hold everyone accountable for their choices while still being able to see the full picture.

michael_wood3219d ago

Yeah this actually shifted how I see things. Never really thought about it that way before.

lucaslane19d ago

Idk @michael_wood32, this whole "never let people off the hook" thing feels a bit extreme to me. Like yeah, understanding someone's reasons isn't the same as excusing them, but sometimes people genuinely are going through something and deserve a little grace. Susan brings up the coworker example, but what if that person has a sick kid at home and is just exhausted? Maybe it's just me but calling that "dangerous" feels like a stretch. We can hold people accountable without acting like every bad mood is some huge moral failing.