As a human, I believe I have a duty to be there for everyone in my life and feel sympathetic toward whatever tough situation they find themselves in. I should be able to relate to them because, much like myself, they are living and breathing human beings. This, however, is not the case. Ever since I began reading novels at a young age, I find myself feeling more emotion toward fictional characters than actual human beings. It’s not only with characters in novels, but also characters in film, television and even plays. This makes me feel like a bad human sometimes, but I think I have realized why fiction makes me feel more emotion than reality.
When it comes to fictional characters, the audience is able to feel what they feel. The raw emotional and intricate details that are provided allow the audience to climb inside the characters’ heads and become lost in their emotions. Whereas in reality, many people are reluctant to share their feelings because they might feel as if they cannot trust others or they fear people will not be able to understand what they are going through. Humans allow themselves to become distant and secretive, so one can never tell what they are thinking.
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The beauty of fictional characters is that they never hold anything back. They trust you, and for some odd reason, you trust them. The characters allow you to take a step into their realities and by doing so, you get to see what they see. You hate the same and love the same. As someone who is on the outside looking in, you are able to analyze every aspect of the characters’ lives, which in turn, allows you to grow a much stronger connection.
Although fictional characters are complex, they are still fake. The audience can still figure out each character and understand their situations. Humans in reality are not so simple. Some lie, tell half-truths or don’t bother to speak their minds at all. They do not tell you what emotions to feel nor do they come with their own descriptions like fictional characters do. I believe this is why it is much easier to become attached to fictional characters.
The situations many fictional characters find themselves in are often tragic. A character might have cancer, may be going through some sort of abuse or might even be experiencing challenges the audience might have gone through. These experiences allow us, as audience members, to reflect on what we would do if we were placed in those situations. We become so involved in these stories that we place ourselves into them and start becoming attached. The emotions become real and so do the characters.
Sometimes I like to imagine my own life is like a movie, or a story that has already been written for me. It allows me to analyze every aspect of my life and view situations through multiple lenses. I admit I am detached from reality most of the time because I become lost in how my life should be if it was a story to be read or a movie to be watched. Although this mindset takes me away from reality, it ironically allows me to become more in touch with reality.
