Blog Post for February 2nd

            In writing, how you describe characters is crucial to the meaning of the story.  You cannot have a plot without specific character traits, however the real craft is how you write these traits. Recently, I read the book “The Cuckoo’s Calling,” by Robert Galbraith and the way Galbraith writes the characters is extremely stereotypical and unfair.  Sometimes authors use artistic license as an excuse to portray characters in a stereotypical manner.

           

            In the beginning of the book, we learn the characters were all divided into social classes.  For example, the protagonist is labeled working class by the other characters and essentially the author.  Every one treats him differently and Galbraith gives him this military background and an upsetting parental story.  All of that defines his character as lesser and that is a social injustice.  Following that, the author puts certain characters into the upper class and makes all of their actions very similar and generic.  By doing so the author is classifying the wealthier characters as more or less the same.

           

            Along the same lines, Galbraith introduces character Raquel.  Raquel is a young black woman that was friends with the victim. She is described in an offensive manner.  Regardless of her skin color or role in the story the way she is presented is quite rude and mean way. For example, her clothes are described as tacky and inappropriate.  Second, the way in which she speaks is both unrealistic and uneducated.  Lastly, whenever they describe her, they use her race as a defining physical and mental trait. How Raquel was written showed me that the author not only embraced stereotypes, but also used them to her advantage,

            Overall, there are many social issues in books having to do with the stories, but there can be just as many social offenses that were devised by the authors themselves.  Stereotypes are all about judgment; so one question we must consider is if it is ok to be rude for effect.