In a recent issue of
Script Magazine, “Mystery Man” wrote a long article called “The Case Against
Character Arcs.” He claims that it’s considered mandatory especially in
Hollywood that every protagonist have such an arc.
In case you’re not
familiar with the term, a character arc refers to the change the character
undergoes in the course of the story of a film or play or novel.
For instance, Scrooge’s character arc takes him from greedy and self-centered to generous and a loving member of his family.
Clint Eastwood’s latest film, “Gran Tornio,” takes his character from being a suspicious, closed-off bigot to a man who has opened up his heart.
However, not every story has, or has to have, a protagonist who undergoes such a change. James Bond doesn’t change much. Examples from the article include the killer (or the others) in “No Country for Old Men,” `’Gandhi,” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
So, yes, while we do enjoy seeing people change (maybe it gives us hope that we, too, can change for the better), it’s not mandatory.
It all depends on what story you want to tell. I wrote a spec script not long ago in which a teen-ager is the only one who really knows what is happening (bad things) but nobody believes him. The story is about his determination to be heard, even when telling the truth could destroy his father. Other than becoming a bit less naïve than he is at the beginning, he doesn’t change much but I think the story works.
Bottom line: if your story doesn’t benefit from a character arc for your protagonist, don’t feel you have to shoehorn one in.
(For information on how to develop characters and plot, see my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other online and offline retailers now.)
