A to Z Challenge: U is for Unforgivable

Welcome to Day 21 of the 2012 A to Z Challenge

U is for Unforgivable:  [the inability] to grant pardon for or remission of an offense.    (Dictionary.com)

If you’ve followed this blog at all, especially in recent months, then you know my book is all about forgiveness.  Though I recently took the absolute worst part of my protagonist’s offense out as terms of my publishing deal, what remains is still mighty abhorrent.  The main character in The Mistaken commits a reprehensible act in retribution for the death of his pregnant wife.  But it’s not until after he has mistakenly exacted his vengeance against an innocent woman that he realizes just how far he has fallen from the honorable man he used to be, before grief, rage, and alcohol transformed him.  Afterwards, he realizes he must find a way to atone for his shameful sins. 

All along—since the very inception of the idea for this book—I’ve been searching for answers.  You hear all the time on the news about some ordinary, upstanding guy who, for whatever reason, commits an unspeakable crime, something that all his friends and family say is completely against his nature.  He couldn’t have done it.  They just don’t believe it.  George Zimmerman and the killing of Trayvon Martin comes to mind. 

So what makes a man (or woman) commit a heinous act, especially a good man, an honorable man who holds to the very letter of the law?  That is why I wrote The Mistaken.  All along, I wanted to show that a good man could be turned into a monster yet somehow find his back to the man he used to be, or a semblance thereof, anyway.  I wanted to show that the unforgivable could actually be forgiven. 

Most readers are pretty forgiving, though they do want someone to believe in, someone they can understand and associate with, so giving them a protagonist who commits an egregious act is risky, at best, and just plain crazy, at worst.  And though I did compromise slightly by taking out his most heinous offense, what he does is still pretty deplorable.  But I don’t think there is anything that is truly unforgivable.  Humans are complex, ruled not only by their hearts and emotions, but also by their circumstances.  Who’s to say they wouldn’t do something in the intense heat of the moment?  When their life, health, or happiness, or that of their loved ones, was at great risk?   Sure, we’d like to think, after years of conditioning, that we would never cross the line, but the truth is, it happens everyday, all over the world.  It could happen.  There is always that possibility.  We are human, and therefore fallible.  And then there’s that whole whoever-is-without-sin, cast-the-first-stone argument.  In addition, I’ll throw in the one about walking-in-their-shoes, because you just never know.  So it’s comforting to believe that forgiveness—even for what seems to be the most unforgivable—is possible                     

What do you think?  Could you cheer on a protagonist who is so flawed and damaged that he could commit the seemingly unforgivable?  Do you truly believe in redemption for those most in need of it?  

When a Character Does the Unforgivable

Thank you to all those who sent prayers and good wishes my way last week.  They must have worked; my first biopsy came back benign.  I feel very blessed.  One more to go then I’ll be free and clear.  Right now, I’d like to get onto more serious writerly endeavors.  With all the upset and turmoil in my life lately, I fear I’ve let my blogging duties fall by the wayside.  This is my lame attempt at making up for that.

I recently received a critique from a fellow writer, someone I admire and respect for his mad writing skillz.  He gave me a great deal of feedback, and I’ve been busy making revisions based on his recommendations.  I am actually shocked what he was able to pull out of me.

About one third of the way through my manuscript, after my male protagonist does a very, very bad thing, my critique partner commented that it would be very difficult for him to feel sympathy for that character any longer, that although he sees how circumstances pushed him towards his actions, it just might be too much and he might not ever like him again.  But was willing to read on and see.

I’m glad he was willing, and I assured him I did my best to change the reader’s mind.  In the end, he said that I managed to pull it off after all, that he did come to care for the main character, that he wanted to see him atone for his sins, and he did.  Congratulations, he said. 

Whew!  What a relief!  But even after all the praise he gave me throughout, I’m still worried, because what if an agent reads through that part then gives up?  What if he or she is not willing, does not believe I can make the character atone and redeem himself?  I mean, that’s the whole trick of the book, the reason I wrote in the first place. 

Now, my writing is in no way eloquent like my last CP.  I don’t lay claim to that particular skill.  But what I do think I did, and reasonably well, is take the reader on a crazy wild ride through turmoil and bedlam.  I made my champion suffer then turned him into an anti-hero and raked him over the coals for it.  Then I forced him to atone for the most unforgivable of sins.  The theme of my novel is forgiveness, after all.  But the reader will never know that unless he or she has the patience to see it through.

I did all those things you’re supposed to do to your MC:  I made him human, imperfect with a huge chip on his shoulder.  I gave him loads of room to change, balancing his strength and humility, turned his affliction into integrity, made him strive for the impossible, brought his compelling struggle to satisfaction though not completely resolved.  He is dark.  He is troubled. And he is seriously flawed.  But is he too self-destructive to garner sympathy?  Does he step over a line for which there is no absolution? 

I wrote this novel from a particularly personal point of view:  Mine.  I can’t say that others would ever be able to forgive the unforgivable, but I wanted to show it’s possible.  I hope I have that chance. 

Have you ever read a novel where the main character steps way over the line?  Were you patient enough to see it through to the end or were you too disgusted to continue?