Strong Characters Part 2

I need to catch up on blog reading so much. But work has been demanding. Which is good. I mean, I need the money, but then I don't have time for other things. So it's a bad good thing? 

I realized that all the characters I brainstormed for this "series" are from the screen. I don't have a single book character! But that's okay. . . I have a tag to do later that I hope shall redeem me. 

So continuing our discussion of what makes a character strong (regardless of gender). I hope you guys like gifs and pictures. . .

Of course you don't need to kick butt, or have awesome superpowers, or hand out a good dose of sass to be a strong character.

Eh, after saying all that, our first character today is Peter Parker. *cough* To clarify, I'm analyzing the most recent movies of Spider-Man with, you know, Andrew Garfield. I would love to read the comics, but the comics are sadly unavailable to me.

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One of the things that I love about Peter Parker, is that he always gets back in there. His uncle dies, he's trying to graduate/go to college and his Aunt May is working overtime (I will never think of her as his aunt, she is always and forever Aunt May, it is her title), while he's trying hard to sell pictures to some newspaper who throws his vigilante work in the dirt. But what does Peter do? 

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He goes back out there to help people. Even when the media talks bad about him. Even when his childhood friend hates him. Even after his girlfriend dumps him (quite rightly I have to say, I mean, a girl can only take so much).

He messes up a lot. I just mentioned his girlfriend trouble (because everything is complicated with Peter). And sometimes he's absent minded and he forgets the eggs. . . or worse to pick Aunt May up after work. Sometimes he breaks doors (or the whole bathroom), gets too cocky and bullies the bully, and tears down basketball hoops.

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But he tries to learn from those mistakes. Being a bully even to the bully is not cool. He remembers the eggs, eventually. . . Oh, yeah, and he'll pay for the basketball hoop. He keeps going on. He holds on to hope that next time he'll do better. Next time will be different. That one day things aren't always going to look so low.

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Even after the unthinkable happens. The most tragic and terrible thing. It gets him down for a while. But Peter knows that he can't just sit back and let the world take its toll when there's something that he can do about it. He grieves. He takes a time out. Everybody needs to at some point for any number of reasons.

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 Peter Parker is not strong because he was bit by a spider and survived.

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Peter is strong because he never gives up hope. He's strong enough to get up and go another round with life. And his sass never wavers. (You know, I just thought of this. What if the sass part is how he copes? What if the sass is like stress relieving?)

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I don't know if that made any sense. Or if I just fangirled the whole time. . . Yeah, probably the latter. So let's talk about someone else.

Anna.

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I like Frozen. I'm more an Elsa fan than an Anna fan. But the other day I realized that Anna has some serious endurance. All her known life, she begs her sister to join her in. . . well, life. Elsa says no for her own unspoken reasons (I am really trying not to talk about Elsa).

Does this constant rejection create some contempt for her sister in Anna?

Actually no. Anna doesn't understand, but she wants to. She, yes, is a little put out, and (justly) whines for Elsa to give a little. But in Anna's eyes, Elsa is the best person on this planet. Even after Elsa rejects her "true love," after Elsa shoots ice out of her hands, Anna is convinced that Elsa is not a monster. Although she has no idea what Elsa's been doing in her bedroom alone all these years. (If it was me, I would be wondering.)

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Yes, Anna is very naive. She doesn't question the motives of some stranger she just met who wants to marry her here and now. But even after he turns out to be villainous, she's still open to loving again.

Her optimism is unbeatable. The whole time!

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 Even after Elsa throws her out with a snow monster (over the top harsh, just saying), Anna gives her own life for her sister. She sacrifices herself for Elsa and never gives up on her. She always hopes that Elsa will come around.

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I think that's pretty strong. Maybe it sounds stupid to be so hopeful, after being let down so often. But actually that's what makes it so hard. It's not easy to stay positive after being disappointed again and again. You don't just keep hoping on a whim like that. You have to make a conscience choice and it's not an easy choice either. It takes commitment and strength to believe in someone who doesn't even believe in themselves yet.

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Strong characters hang on to hope. When things get down, they get back up.