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Originally Posted by DixieGal
What does this imply with regard to books portraying violence or sexual predation? That immediately disturbed me when reading the article.
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I would imagine that the reader would identify first with a character that resonates with them, while also getting deeper into the perspective of those they don't.
The examples given in the article are full of characters that have a combination of qualities we can relate to (shyness, being "different" or an outcast, family drama, and so on) and qualities we can't (magical abilities, paranormal qualities). In other words, characters we might imagine ourselves being if we were in the story world.
In more realistic dramatic fiction, we find more of the "uncomfortable" characters, but it's rare that we can't relate to any of them, whether it be the victim, those related to the victim or, yes, even the offender. I think it's an important part of the human experience to examine not only who we are, but who we might have been had things been different somewhere along the way.
Not everyone agrees with me. I have an acquaintance who gets absolutely irate whenever a bad guy is portrayed in what she feels is a sympathetic way, such as back story showing a horrific childhood, moments of regret, that sort of thing. She simply refuses to see them as human, possibly out of fear that she may see something, even one tiny thing, that she can relate to. I can't get her to discuss it enough to be sure.
I'm not afraid of seeing something in a human monster that I can relate to. I don't see it as a sign of some latent evil within me, but rather a sign that I managed to turn out okay despite the similarities.
As for the study, had they chosen books such as those you mention, I imagine the results would be quite different when the questions were asked. There's a huge difference between imagining that one is a tragic, romantic vampire character or a teen wizard flying through the air in a fantasy world, and imagining that one does horrific things to people in a realistic world. However, I do think it's important to place yourself there, just for a moment, if only to feel the shudder of revulsion that reassures you that you're not like that.
(I'm rambling this morning. Should I go up and add a tl;dr?)