My Personal Hamartia

Since the days of Aristotle, when the arc of our common understanding of storytelling originated, the concept of the hero having a basic fatal flaw, his or her hamartia, has been a traditional element of story structure. The skill that a screenwriter uses in bringing an audience into the complexity of the hero’s courageous decision of fight or flight, is the main reason why we are so drawn to literature and movies.

From Hamlet to Spiderman, Harry Potter to Indiana Jones and Bridgett Jones to Marty McFly, we see it as action moving towards the heroic confrontation with the inevitability of fate. We all know that eventually Luke must face off with Daddy Vader and that 007 must use his brains more than sheer brawn as he ages up.

It was brought to my attention yesterday that my intended protagonist, the guy to whom have given the awesome responsibility of telling ‘our’ story, was actually arrested and tossed into the local pokey as a complex and dramatic situation was playing itself out. He was arrested because the local authorities were ‘concerned’ about his possible violent response to awarding honorary citizenship to the former Japanese pilot who dropped four bombs on his hometown during WWII. The arrest, parade and subsequent award took place almost twenty years after the end of the war and is illustrative of, in my opinion, how deeply ingrained the morals, ethics and emotions of the war had upon the American people. Emotions that continue to color our world to this very day. One could say that is is the hamartia of America.

From the cinematic viewpoint, and this was tossed around last night in round table discussion, my protagonist will evolve through a range of dramatic personal growth through the process, the unfolding of the story. His growth, and his eventual arrival at the truth, the right thing, and the honorable course of action is oddly similar to those facing my secondary protagonist, the Japanese pilot himself, as they each seek their redemption. The katana, the 400 year-old Samurai sword that the pilot offers to the American citizens as recompense, plays an important role in the thematic treatment illustrating the triumph of man’s good nature over his darker tendencies.

As every day brings a deeper understanding and respect for both the story and the process involved with its telling, my enthusiasm continues to rise. This emotional response to the task and its challenge is the primary example of how I know that I am on the right path.

Without this constant cosmic reminder of the importance of passion and the creative imperative, of gumption and sincere interest, and without this vital enthusiastic engagement, it would feel like work.

And this feels like the farthest thing from it. Interestingly, a brutally honest assessment of my default character shows this point on the time-line, facing the challenge of getting all his down in the manner that its historical significance and potential morality-play impact demands, could be my personal hamartia.