What one of the most interesting things about characters is when we notice parallels between them. When I mean parallels, it means there are similarities in some ways or the characters are somewhat alike. It even is more interesting if you can parallel one of your own characters to a prior one. Let me give you one example.
Sarge/Scrooge
Scrooge is a well-known character in literature- due to being part of Dickens’ famous “A Christmas Carol. Sarge, on the other hand, is one of my one. The interesting thing is that one is a protagonist and the other an antagonist. So, why do I find them similar?
Family
First, let me bring up Scrooge’s family. He was neglected by his father at a young age. So, he was a lonely child growing up. His father didn’t exactly love him.
In many ways, Sarge’s family situation was even worse. Yes, his mother left him at age four. But that would leave him with an abusive and cruel father. From ages four to thirteen, Sarge was abused by his father- leaving him with emotional and physical scars. Leading him to be broken, lonely, conflicted, confused, and oblivious to compassion, love, and kindness. All of this made him a bully. The sad side of this was that he did have an uncle and cousin who loved him- Marge and her father (aka Sarge’s father’s brother). His uncle really wanted to help his nephew, but he needed to protect his daughter.
A Source of Comfort
Despite the pain Sarge and Scrooge dealt with, they still had a kind of escape.
Scrooge found it in books- through the characters. In so many ways, the characters were his friends. Sarge’s comfort was found in The Bog, the only place in Graysloup his father never knew existed. Sarge ended up making The Bog a playground of sorts- as in sliding down mud, making mudpies, etc….
Meg's Magical Musings 