Crucible Fiction

The Forbidden Path

I’ve loved books and writing since before I could read. Seeing my father read felt magical because he seemed to pull knowledge from the pages I didn’t understand. When I began reading, I noticed that what I enjoyed had a different bent. When my teacher read The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen (the original, not what Disney turned into Frozen), I wanted the Snow Queen to succeed because she seemed much more interesting than the hero.

I also remember being curious at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, what might happen if Luke took Darth’s offer. Even then, I knew Luke would win in the end if he refused and remained on the light side. My question is, what would have happened if he didn’t?

It wasn’t rooting for evil. I didn’t want pain or despair for the galaxy. What I wanted to know was why Darth chose what he did. He had to make that choice and chose the opposite of what his son did. The prequels tried to answer that question, but the answer didn’t satisfy.

I write to figure out and imagine what happens when, faced with a choice like Luke’s, the character says ‘yes’, even if for a little while. Is the traditional choice right, and if it is, why? Sometimes it isn’t, and with the same curiosity, I want to figure out why.

So, if you find a character being ‘bad’ in a story, please give them a chance. They and I are trying to figure some things out.