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The Martian
by Andy Weir
Fantastic Examples of Characters'
External vs Internal Struggles
While we readers all love to see the story play out with external wins: Mark Watney gets off Mars, Frodo Baggins flings the ring and its wearer into Mount Doom lava, Katniss Everdeen wins the Hunger Games, Amir finds Hassan’s son and rescues him in the heart of war-torn Afghanistan, Tris shows everyone she is Dauntless to the core and even more, and Honor Harrington earns the respect of her crew, the Navy of Mantacore, and the entire Basilisk Station by stopping a galactic invasion before it can truly start. How did these characters form, grow, and have such grand story finales?
While the plot or the external struggle plays its role, the actual character arcs are shaped by the internal conflict. Let’s say that one more time. A character arc is shaped by the internal conflict they go through. The external struggles or plot elements trigger the internal conflicts and battles. Mark and, eventually the whole world, “hoped” he would get off that planet and come home. And if for one instance Mark lost that hope internally, his external struggle to survive would die from the lack of persistent belief that it was possible. Andy Weir pits the internal battles so seemingly easy as a writer, I think I hate him. Sorry, Andy. Can Mark grow plants? Yes. But what happens when the plants are destroyed? Can Mark find a heat source? Yes, but what happens if it leaks radiation and kills him? Can Mark communicate with NASA? Yes, but what happens when he wants to talk to his crew?
The Martian
Check out these pivotal choices made by other characters in the previously mentioned novels. Can you see how internal struggle moves the character through the external plot? I hope I gave enough examples, but if not, you may find a few more in another blog I am writing about Character Journeys: Exploring Character Arcs in SFF Worlds where I blog about the author’s intent behind specific character arcs.
Characters that make super pivotal choices:
- The Martian by Andy Weir – Why did Mark Watney decide to survive on Mars actively defying the odds and taking control of his fate, rather than passively waiting for rescue?
- Externally, he started with logic and resourcefulness, which turned into ingenuity in the face of extreme adversity.
- Internally, he battled to maintain hope, maintain resilience, and hold onto his sanity while facing the harsh and isolating conditions of Mars.
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – Why did Frodo Baggins agree to carry the One Ring to Mount Doom and destroy it?
- Externally, the looming threat of Sauron and his armies creates external pressure for Frodo to undertake the quest to destroy the Ring. The Fellowship’s commitment to Frodo and the quest gives him strength to continue despite the challenges he faces.
- Internally, Frodo is driven by his sense of duty, his determination, his trust in Gandalf, his desire to save others, his willingness to sacrifice, and his unwavering hope for the future of Middle-earth.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – Why did Katniss Everdeen volunteer as a tribute for her sister?
- Externally, Katniss protects all whom she cares for, especially Prim.
- Internally, she desires to protect her young sister, and she has a sense of duty toward raising her and keeping her and others safe.
- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – Why did Amir betray Hassan? While I know this book is not SFF, I just felt I’d throw one in there that I really enjoyed.
- Externally, he wanted his father’s love and validation, which Hassan’s father clearly gave to Hassan.
- Internally he was jealous, he felt guilt, and he felt shame in his actions toward his friend.
Divergent
by Veronica Roth
- Divergent by Veronica Roth – Why did Tris Pryor leave her faction Abnegation and join Dauntless?
- Externally, she wanted to get away from the identification of abnegation and she wanted to find her self-discovery identity, she craved freedom from restriction. The Dauntless faction offered her these things and the ability to face her fears head-on, engage in physical challenges, and live life with passion.
- Internally, she feels awful that she doesn’t like her old faction’s self-sacrifice attitude and she hopes Dauntless will allow her to break free of that guilt finally. She has a fear of failure and wrestles with feelings of betrayal and suspicion. Her desire for acceptance and belonging, and her fear of not fitting in is constantly challenged in Dauntless. The author clearly wants Tris to struggle internally after leaving one faction only to find the new faction isn’t quite right either.
- On Basilisk Station by David Weber – Why didn’t Honor Harrington disobey direct orders from her superior officer, Admiral Sarnow?
- Externally, she decides to prioritize the safety of the civilian population of Basilisk Station over following the admiral’s orders to withdraw from the system.
- Internally, she believes that leaving the civilian population vulnerable to the threat posed by the aggressive Havenite forces would be morally wrong and go against her sense of duty as an officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and find the examples and the discussion interesting. Go check out my debut novel Drayton’s Discoveries where Herman Drayton finds his internal struggles as a man of science learning how to love and live on a new planet. See how he handles his internal vs the externa
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JL Nich, Science Fiction Fantasy Author