If you’re wondering why I haven’t posted the past two Sundays, you can read all about my reasons in my latest newsletter for last Sunday (River of Books; sign up for the Word Storm Newsletter here!). This Sunday, I was having technological problems. I couldn’t connect my computer to the internet at all. Now, I’m back! *waves*
I hope you are having as much fun reading these character posts as I am writing them! They may be challenging thus far, but I really, really, really like character analysis. This week, I’m here to talk about yet another one of my favorite characters—The Emotionless One. They may not be the easier character to empathize with considering they tend to be absolute jerks, but they’re simultaneously fascinating.
I hope you are having as much fun reading these character posts as I am writing them! They may be challenging thus far, but I really, really, really like character analysis. This week, I’m here to talk about yet another one of my favorite characters—The Emotionless One. They may not be the easier character to empathize with considering they tend to be absolute jerks, but they’re simultaneously fascinating.
Note: The Emotionless One is not to be confused with
The Brooding Boyfriend or The Compulsive Liar, though they may overlap at
times.
“‘It must be because
you’re so approachable,’ I say flatly.
‘You know. Like a bed of nails.’”
(Tris, Divergent)
A few examples of The Emotionless One include but are not
limited to Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock
Holmes collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Spock (Star Trek, the original series and the latest movies), and Jahan, son of Elam (Last of the Memory Keepers by
yours truly). Here are just a couple of the traits they tend to exhibit.
They’re often
misunderstood.
Okay, before you start telling me that’s just an excuse,
here me out. A lot of times, people—even readers—jump to conclusions before
they get to know a character. One of the main reasons Sherlock didn’t have a
lot of friends (aside from the fact that he was a jerk) is that few people took
the time to really listen. Mrs. Hudson needed boarders, and Lestrade needed
Sherlock’s help, but it wasn’t until John took the time to listen that Sherlock
found a best friend.
John: That… was amazing… It was quite extraordinary.Sherlock: That’s not what people normally say.John: What do people normally say?Sherlock: “**** off”.(Sherlock, “A Study in Pink”)
They tend to lack
social skills.
Sherlock can deduce a person’s occupation and personal
habits but doesn’t always recognize when he’s being cruel. Jahan is perhaps the
exception, as he can empathize well with other people.
Bones: You could at least act like it was a hard decision.Spock: I intend to assist in the effort to reestablish communication with Starfleet. However, if crew morale is better served by my roaming the halls weeping, I will gladly defer to your medical expertise. Excuse me.
Bones: [as Spock leaves] Green-blooded hobgoblin.(Star Trek)
Things that are obvious to everybody else are not obvious to them.
Sherlock doesn’t know the earth revolved around the sun or
that England doesn’t currently have a king. Jahan can be incredibly naïve when
it comes to his family and overly secretive when it comes to his friends.
John: But it’s the solar system!Sherlock: Oh! How? What does that matter? So we go ’round the sun. If we went ’round the moon or round and round the garden like a teddy bear it wouldn’t make any difference. All that matters to me is the work. Without that my brain rots. Put that in your blog. Or better still, stop inflicting your opinions on the world.(Sherlock, “The Blind Banker”)
They’re incredibly smart in some areas.
Sherlock can deduce a
lot in one glance and only takes cases that are intellectually stimulating.
Spock was accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy (yet declined admission), designed
the Kobayashi Maru test, and even quotes Sherlock Holmes. And while Jahan may
not express emotions, he is good at discerning them.
Sherlock: What is it like in your funny little brains? It must be so boring!(Sherlock, “A Study in Pink”)
They’re not always emotionless. Sometimes they just process emotions differently.
A recent trend within the film industry has been to give The
Emotionless One at least one instance when show some form of extreme emotion.
Sherlock is often overprotective of John; Spock nearly strangles Kirk; et
cetera. While many of these extreme displays of emotion from The Emotionless
One are often criticized, that doesn’t mean these characters are completely
unfeeling.
However, while Sherlock may have been overtly emotional in
the BBC adaptation, there is only one instance that comes to my mind when he
showed fear in the books after John got shot. Spock, on the other hand, is
half-human, half-Vulcan, giving him some of the characteristics of both. Likewise,
most of Jahan’s reactions are internal.
Sarek: Emotions run deep within our race. In many ways, more deeply than in Humans. Logic offers a serenity Humans seldom experience. The control of feelings, so that they do not control you.
Spock: You suggest that I should be completely Vulcan, and yet you married a Human.
Sarek: As ambassador to Earth, it is my duty to observe and understand Human behavior. Marrying your mother was logical. Spock, you are fully capable of deciding your own destiny. The question you face is: which path will you choose? This is something only you can decide.
(Star Trek)
Anybody else notice what else I might have described in this
post? And before you say a psychopath or even a high functioning sociopath,
think really hard.
If you picked autism, you would be correct.
However, it’s important to differentiate between the terms
and their characteristics. Personally, I would not label autistic characters as
emotionless. They may process emotions differently, but they are far from
unfeeling. If anything, they feel deeper than others.
Often times, the main issue with The Emotionless One is that
they’re just labeled emotionless without the author really delving into why.
When Doyle wrote the Sherlock Holmes
stories, autism was relatively undiscovered, so we may never know if his famous
detective was autistic or sociopathic. It doesn’t help that Doyle really didn’t
care about accuracy either. While the modern BBC adaptation tries to explore
the traits of a high functioning sociopath, it’s not entirely accurate. There’s
even one point where John suggests Sherlock has autism. I’m sorry, but pick
ONE. They are not the same.
When writing or examining The Emotionless One, there are
generally different reasons for their lack of emotion:
1) Their mental processing is different.
·
E.g. Sociopaths.
·
E.g. Vulcans. As a nonhuman race, the Vulcans think
in a very different manner from the humans. As a result, they often come across
as being arrogant and emotionless. Their traits are also cultural (see below).
2) It’s cultural.
·
E.g. Germany. Believe it or not, the Germans
often come across as very stoic. They’re seen as lacking in a sense of humor
and being incredibly critical because they state things the way they are.
·
Lightning Wielders. In their culture, showing
emotions to people outside of their immediate family and/or close friends is
considered very rude. Hence, Jahan comes off having no emotions, until he befriends
Rhona.
Rhona: “I am not emotional.”Jahan: “No. You’re passionate. There’s nothing shameful in it.”(Last of the Memory Keepers)
3) It’s personal.
·
There are many different reasons for hiding
emotions, the primary one in fiction being a survival technique. In some cases,
showing emotion can be seen as a sign of weakness, so as a defense mechanism,
the characters learn to adapt. Developing a poker face can also be a helpful
trick for con artists and thieves.
Other examples of The Emotionless One not discussed in this
post include Tempi (The Wise Man’s Fear
by Patrick Rothfuss) and Wong (Doctor
Strange). Such characters are perhaps some of the most difficult to
understand, which only makes them more fascinating.
***
Film references: Star
Trek, 2009
Literary references: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes collection, Patrick Rothfuss’ The
Wise Man’s Fear, Azelyn Klein’s Last of the Memory Keepers, and Veronica Roth’s Divergent.
Related posts: The Pessimistic Mentor and The Character Everybody Detests
Let’s chat! Who is your favorite emotionless character?
Which do you think could have been written better? Which of the three reasons
for a “lack of emotion” would you like to see more in fiction?
