On suicide in entertainment literature

Author

CZ2128D

New Member
Messages:
0
Likes:
12
Points:
4
Blog Posts:
1
So how is one meant to cover a topic as sensitive as this in novels where the primary purpose is entertainment. That is to say is it just a literary device used to further flesh out characters or a plot point that has its own ups and downs. Or is it just a representation of something that the author believes interesting.

How is it given both the respect and gravitas it deserves and when are such taken away?

Permalink
Lokum likes this.

Comments

    1. Lokum Dec 19, 2020
      In the end, you can argue that everything is a literary device (*shoulder shrug*)

      But yeah, the portrayal that suicide gets in stories, be it art or literature, definitely ends up influencing the way people think of it. If you romanticize, dramatize, or dismiss suicide, the corresponding reaction may appear in the readers' minds.


      I think this leads up to the whole issue of the portrayal that it gets in the media. There's a lot of articles looking into how media coverage plays a role in future suicides.

      For example, if a report, or a story, provides a detailed description of how some person committed suicide, that may facilitate the reproduction of the act; you get an idea put into your head.
      It's debatable if writing about suicide has a positive side. You can say it spreads awareness. Meaning, we should talk about it, acknowledge that it's a real issue and it's there. On the other hand, if society is overexposed to something, it gradually grows numb to it.

      Regarding the fact that it is used in novels: an author has to be thoughtful when touching upon the subject, much like with other sensitive matters, such as mental disorders, domestic violence etc.

      That being said, the theme of suicide has been part of the literature for a long time. It's not a new thing, and its undertone changes depending on a story: sometimes as a grand self-sacrifice, other times as a coping technique.

      And as you said, to flesh out the character. I get what you mean.

      You write a character, and maybe their suicidal behavior is their key point, the axis around which revolves their persona. It all depends on what you're writing.

      If you have a romance with reincarnation, and where one of the baddies ends up committing suicide out of shame, after the protagonist successfully made their counterattack, then yes, that's not a decent way to write about it, because then it becomes a cheap plot device, a mere way to get rid of a character, and which doesn't add to the value of the story.

      But if properly written, it will be understandable how things came to this. As frustrating as it may be, suicide can make sense, or, it can be shown that in the character's eyes at least, it made sense.
      As a novelist myself, with a story where parts brush upon suicide, I can tell you that sometimes it's not easy even for me to trace back how the plot developed to that point. But when it makes sense, when it adds value to the story, and I don't mean some sort of marketable value that brings publishers to your backyard, I mean that when you read it, you say:
      That's when you know you wrote it right.

      And sure, in some cases, an author may want to explore a certain theme for the sake of exploring it. Most of the time though, it's because, in the process of writing, you will come up with an element, that becomes so integral to the story, taking it away will make everything collapse.
  1. Sort Comments

    Sort Comments