Favourite Character Feature- March 2018
Favourite Character Feature
March 2018
DEATH.
I realise that that's an ominous way to start a blog article, but anyone who's ever read Terry Pratchett will know what I mean instantly. Terry died three years ago this week, so the character I'm highlighting this month is one of his most recognisable and most original.
Okay, so it's not like Death is a new concept. But it is, the way it's portrayed in the Discworld series. Probably the most memorable aspect of the Discworld Death is HIS VOICE. Pratchett points out that it would be quite unrealistic for a skeleton to be able to speak like a normal person, i.e. using vocal cords, so instead the use of small caps shows that his voice is only heard inside a person's head. That perfectly captures Pratchett's skill at skewering stereotypical depictions of death and separating Death from the rules of the world around him.
As a character, Death is no less intriguing. Death doesn't show up for every demise in the Discworld- he doesn't have time for that. Instead, Pratchett establishes that he shows up for deaths of significant figures- kings, witches etc- and a quota of less significant deaths. Normally he goes for the dramatic ones, but what I really love about him is his appearance at the deaths of certain cats and dogs. Just the fact that he considers those deaths significant enough to show up at makes me like him a lot more than some of the other characters, and it gives him a depth.
He also sticks up for humanity against larger forces, like the Auditors. With all the deaths he's seen, he must be pretty tired of human behaviour as a whole and the suffering it creates. But he also appreciates that our messiness is necessary against the Auditors' preference for order and predictability, and he's not afraid to stand up to defend it (although arguably he'd have reason to). It sounds strange, but I'm glad Death is on humanity's side.
Although he defends human behaviour, he also points out how ridiculous it can be. He isn't above questioning practices such as apprenticeship and he is regularly confused by people who die because of their ridiculous schemes. He also admires how they cope with the knowledge that they will not live forever. His coming to term with these peculiarities makes him a sympathetic character and gives his compassion towards humanity a rational explanation.
For a dutiful character, though, he is willing to give people a chance. Throughout the books, he gives characters a chance to win a longer life through a game or just outright gives them longer life, like The Little Match Girl. This fits into his growth towards being a compassionate being, but also shows he is not just a mindless bureaucrat. Really, if humans have to die at all, the figure that leads them to the afterlife could be a lot worse.
All in all, I've read books which have characters much less convincing than Death, and many of the characters in the Discworld books are much less likeable than him. Pratchett took a history of stereotypes and made them into a funny character with the ability to question human behaviour but also sympathise with humanity. I can't wait to follow his story through the rest of the Discworld series.
Let me know which other Discworld characters you think are worthy of celebration!
Okay, so it's not like Death is a new concept. But it is, the way it's portrayed in the Discworld series. Probably the most memorable aspect of the Discworld Death is HIS VOICE. Pratchett points out that it would be quite unrealistic for a skeleton to be able to speak like a normal person, i.e. using vocal cords, so instead the use of small caps shows that his voice is only heard inside a person's head. That perfectly captures Pratchett's skill at skewering stereotypical depictions of death and separating Death from the rules of the world around him.
As a character, Death is no less intriguing. Death doesn't show up for every demise in the Discworld- he doesn't have time for that. Instead, Pratchett establishes that he shows up for deaths of significant figures- kings, witches etc- and a quota of less significant deaths. Normally he goes for the dramatic ones, but what I really love about him is his appearance at the deaths of certain cats and dogs. Just the fact that he considers those deaths significant enough to show up at makes me like him a lot more than some of the other characters, and it gives him a depth.
He also sticks up for humanity against larger forces, like the Auditors. With all the deaths he's seen, he must be pretty tired of human behaviour as a whole and the suffering it creates. But he also appreciates that our messiness is necessary against the Auditors' preference for order and predictability, and he's not afraid to stand up to defend it (although arguably he'd have reason to). It sounds strange, but I'm glad Death is on humanity's side.
Although he defends human behaviour, he also points out how ridiculous it can be. He isn't above questioning practices such as apprenticeship and he is regularly confused by people who die because of their ridiculous schemes. He also admires how they cope with the knowledge that they will not live forever. His coming to term with these peculiarities makes him a sympathetic character and gives his compassion towards humanity a rational explanation.
For a dutiful character, though, he is willing to give people a chance. Throughout the books, he gives characters a chance to win a longer life through a game or just outright gives them longer life, like The Little Match Girl. This fits into his growth towards being a compassionate being, but also shows he is not just a mindless bureaucrat. Really, if humans have to die at all, the figure that leads them to the afterlife could be a lot worse.
All in all, I've read books which have characters much less convincing than Death, and many of the characters in the Discworld books are much less likeable than him. Pratchett took a history of stereotypes and made them into a funny character with the ability to question human behaviour but also sympathise with humanity. I can't wait to follow his story through the rest of the Discworld series.
Let me know which other Discworld characters you think are worthy of celebration!
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