TOP TEN TUESDAY | CHARACTER TRAITS I LOVE

I don’t think there will be anything that original in this list – I feel like most of us readers tend to gravitate towards similar character traits. But still, it is lovely to think back over some of my favourite characters and try to tease out just what, exactly, made me love them so much!

Intelligence – I love it when a character can hold their own with anyone. Think Will Hunting from Good Will Hunting (yes, I know that’s a movie, but it’s the best example on offer). Similarly Hermione and Helene Hanff.

Snark – Not cruel, but quick with a rebuttal or off-the-cuff remark. I can’t think of any perfect examples of this one, but perhaps a bit like Crawley from Good Omens.

Loyalty – Of course the best example of this is the main three from the Harry Potter books.

Courage – I’m not thinking of overt courage (though of course that’s welcome), more the courage it takes to stand up for someone else or be who you really are even if you get teased for it. That’s the kind of courage I truly admire, because I find it the hardest to come by. Starr from The Hate U Give is a great example.

Complexity – People aren’t simple. They are full of layers and gray areas, mistakes and a steep learning curve. No one is the same person at 15 that they are at 25, and that changes a lot of how they make decisions. So particularly if it’s a story that takes place over any length of time, I need to see that change as well as the underlying contradictions and quirks that make a person a human being.

Not too good – Because it’s boring, more than anything. Who wants to read about a character who exercises regularly, eats their vegetables, brushes and flosses twice a day and has no screen time before bed (which happens at a reasonable hour, well before midnight every day). Not me.

Witty – Think Loki in the Marvel universe – I like sharp wit and great one-liners. Another example that I think everyone will agree with is Augustus Waters in The Fault In Our Stars.

Irreverent – I like people who challenge the norm and aren’t afraid to push the boundaries.

Sees good in people and the world – Anne Frank is who I think of when I think of this characteristic. In her journal there was always this bright ray of sunshine in her view of the world, even in the most dire of circumstances. It was what made her diary magnetic and heartbreaking at the same time.

Stands up for what is right – It’s been a long times since I read it, but I feel like To Kill A Mockingbird definitely has this going on. But any character that is willing to take a risk, put their life on the line (or their reputation or their livelihood – anything of value) to protect those who are vulnerable is going to have my respect. Pretty much any story about the holocaust also includes normal people who couldn’t stand by and do nothing – those who fed or sheltered or lied for Jews running for their lives. I’d like to think that I would have done the same in similar circumstances, but I don’t know if I would have had that kind of courage. I think it’s much more rare than we know, and therefore of incredible power.

That’s it for this week’s list. Do you agree with some or all of mine? Which would you add? Any better examples of these I’m forgetting about?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.