Any characters without tragic backstories?

[Adder1234]

Just out of curiousity, has there ever been any character, either good or evil, who didn't have some sort of tragic backstory? Also, why does every character need one? I understand that characters need a reason for doing what they do, but I don't see why that reason always has to be either their family/close friends dying or them being put through unimaginable torture.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

No Allistic can see a character acting on their own merit , doing a good deed just because they are good or believing in justice because they have spent a lot of time thinking about what benefits society.
There has to be a reason or the Allistic don't see it.

Most people would not sacrifice themselves or get up off their chair for non selfish reasons, so the reason has to be displayed or nobody buys it.

Just an idea.

Thinking, now, about Dostoyevsky writing the 'idiot' maybe you could read that to explore the above idea. No-one could understand him,his motives,hence 'idiot'
Fresh thought for me,long time since I read the idiot, so my memory may betray...

 

[Adder1234]

I certainly don't have a tragic backstory, but I've stepped into dangerous situations and broken up fights in order to help people before. I do it purely because doing good things makes me feel good about myself.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

There are plenty of good characters without tragic backstories, so many that I can't even be bothered to list a few. What have you been reading, teen fiction? Skilled authors don't need such shallow plot devices to explain their characters motivation. Unless you are talking about superhero comics, wherin the tragic backstory is just another overused boring trope which seems to be a compulsory part of the superhero formula.
'Evil' characters are more inclined towards having tragic backstories, because a well thought out plot needs a reason for someone to do bad things. People aren't born evil, and people don't generally do bad things unless they have a reason, whether that is poverty, a tragic or traumatic backstory, or mental illness.

 

[Adder1234]

There are plenty of good characters without tragic backstories, so many that I can't even be bothered to list a few. What have you been reading, teen fiction?

More or less. I've never had any friends who are into reading and I don't have any clue what kind of mature books to start with. Any recommendations? I'll read just about anything.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

More or less. I've never had any friends who are into reading and I don't have any clue what kind of mature books to start with. Any recommendations? I'll read just about anything.

Just going to a book shop and wander around the adult section reading synopses until you find some that appeal to you is a good start. My favourite books and authors include:
(Sci-fi) Anne McCafrey (the dragons of Pern series is great, although ironically a couple of the lead characters do have tragic backstories), Elizabeth Moon (particularly like the Heris Serrano trilogy), George Orwell's classic are always worth a read, Douglas Adams.
(Fantasy) Brandon Sanderson, The Earthsea series are supposed to be children books I think but they are still brilliant, Marion Zimmer Bradley (Darkover series is great), Patrick Rothfuss, you've probably already read them but I couldn't not mention A song of ice and fire and Diskworld, and of course there is the best books of all time The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (the silmarillion is great too, but generally only serious fans bother to read it).

 

[OkRad]

Just out of curiousity, has there ever been any character, either good or evil, who didn't have some sort of tragic backstory? Also, why does every character need one? I understand that characters need a reason for doing what they do, but I don't see why that reason always has to be either their family/close friends dying or them being put through unimaginable torture.

You might like this reading list. St Johns only reads the Classics. I will post below. They all start with Homer...... and if you start with the Iliad, you can see where these paradigms arise. Achilles was the first tragic hero and many writers used him as a template but Homer cannot be improved upon and never will!

There are many other characters in Homer that don't have a backstory, per se. Some were children of the various gods, etc.

In the end, life IS tragic when you see we all die. THe human race has had a hard time healing with that, and literature shows that. It was no easier for those in the past than now.

So that tragic figure came to be to show that there is a bit of time we have in between our traumas. Time to do good, even if it's one good act (Achilles giving back the body of Hector to Priam). There is time to change until that last breath.

I love to read. Here is a good list:

St. John's College | Reading List - Great Books Curriculum - Philosophy

 

[ZebraAutismo]

I'm struggling to think of any to be honest.

 

[Judge]

LOL. That's easy. If I had to be one person for real who exists only as a fictional character, it would be Ferris Bueller.

Who else has lived such a charmed life where nothing ever truly goes wrong?

Imagine any of us being able to hijack an entire parade.