The Girl With Wooden Hair: an inquiry

[aesmael]

We so seldom see characters motivated by curiosity, especially protagonists. We have redemption, duty, unwilling and forced by destiny or other situational imperative, kindheartedness, self-aggrandisement, various self-interests, but so seldom does it seem to be curiosity, to be 'I want to know what is out there, I want to know how it works'.

Interesting to realise and I wonder why. For myself curiosity is a big motivation for interest in genre fiction, and for my characters too, yet in many stories characters are blocked off from explanations, or actively disinterested.

Is it uncommercial? Bad storytelling? Founded on false or incomplete beliefs about people's beliefs, interests and satisfactions in entertainment? I don't know. Is just my impression there is a dearth of characters motivated by the joy of discovery. I want to see more of that. Kindheartedness and the spirit of adventure too.

Comments

[osakadensetsu.livejournal.com]

Coraline (and its film adaptation) feature a protagonist who definitely is motivated by curiosity. Otherwise she never would have ended up in her Other Home.

I'd say it's pretty commercially successful and good storytelling.

[allieflowlight.livejournal.com]

Many people consider curiosity to be primarily a childish trait, and therefore something to be outgrown. I find this terribly sad.