Benny
Benny is an almost universally liked character. There is something appealing about a happy go lucky, easy going character who can find humour in even the direst of situations; and Benny is that character.
I intended for him to be directly apposed to Jet’s constant gloom and cynicism, offering a dry joke and often inappropriate witticism when things were getting a bit heavy. For the most part Benny filled this purpose perfectly. But, a character cannot exist on comedy relief alone, and there had to be more to Benny then just a few laughs.
Benny represents the grey areas that are present in our many laws and established rules. That is to say; he lives his life in a zone that I think many of us do, or at least try to; that zone where it’s okay to toe the line and even break a few barriers, as long as no one is getting hurt in the process. In many cases I think such a person is even respected by society in general, very much in a Robin Hood ‘steals from the rich and gives to the poor’ sort of way. Who could frown on Robin Hood? Very few. And likewise, I hope that Benny draws that kind of respect from readers.
But that sort of attitude, the Robin Hood persona, is one that I feel has many pitfalls and even incredibly dangerous consequences. The term “victim-less crime” is basically an oxymoron, and there are all too often negative results that may or may not be witnessed when liberties are taken with the law. (Don’t get me wrong, there are often just as many negative results when one stays within the law.) I wanted to explore that odd little realm of our society with Benny’s character, and in order to make the whole affair more appealing, I made him as likable as possible. It’s funny, and speaks volumes about our nature, that if Benny had been a less likable character that his law breaking nature would likely have been met with scorn. (More on this in a bit.)
More than just exploring grey zones with Benny, I also wanted him to serve as an anchor for Jet, not only introducing him to the many possibilities of the world of magic, both legal and illegal, but also providing the comfort of friendship in an otherwise chaotic life.
And this is where I think Benny’s character is the most interesting. I have tried to insert a subtle thread that questions Benny’s motivation throughout the book, forcing readers to have suspicions about the same person whom they are encouraged to like. Is Benny’s friendship with Jet real? Or is he simply recognising on which side his bread is buttered? Is his concern for the life of his brother real, or is it just leverage to keep breaking the law? As I've already said, when a character is likable we tend to assume the best of them, (much like people are more likely to think positively of a person who is physically attractive,) and I wanted Benny to be a constant unanswered question in the mind’s of readers. Like him or not, Benny might be up to no good.
Finally, Benny has a dark past, yet another way in which I introduce doubts about this lovable man. The thread is only briefly hinted at in the first book of the series, but is explored much more deeply in the second two books. The idea here is to explore whether people deserve a second chance, and whether it is right to forgive sins committed long ago. Most agree that “water under the bridge” is a fair philosophy, but I wanted to ask just how deep that water can be and still be completely forgotten.
I’ll go more into that as the second and third books are released.
I intended for him to be directly apposed to Jet’s constant gloom and cynicism, offering a dry joke and often inappropriate witticism when things were getting a bit heavy. For the most part Benny filled this purpose perfectly. But, a character cannot exist on comedy relief alone, and there had to be more to Benny then just a few laughs.
Benny represents the grey areas that are present in our many laws and established rules. That is to say; he lives his life in a zone that I think many of us do, or at least try to; that zone where it’s okay to toe the line and even break a few barriers, as long as no one is getting hurt in the process. In many cases I think such a person is even respected by society in general, very much in a Robin Hood ‘steals from the rich and gives to the poor’ sort of way. Who could frown on Robin Hood? Very few. And likewise, I hope that Benny draws that kind of respect from readers.
But that sort of attitude, the Robin Hood persona, is one that I feel has many pitfalls and even incredibly dangerous consequences. The term “victim-less crime” is basically an oxymoron, and there are all too often negative results that may or may not be witnessed when liberties are taken with the law. (Don’t get me wrong, there are often just as many negative results when one stays within the law.) I wanted to explore that odd little realm of our society with Benny’s character, and in order to make the whole affair more appealing, I made him as likable as possible. It’s funny, and speaks volumes about our nature, that if Benny had been a less likable character that his law breaking nature would likely have been met with scorn. (More on this in a bit.)
More than just exploring grey zones with Benny, I also wanted him to serve as an anchor for Jet, not only introducing him to the many possibilities of the world of magic, both legal and illegal, but also providing the comfort of friendship in an otherwise chaotic life.
And this is where I think Benny’s character is the most interesting. I have tried to insert a subtle thread that questions Benny’s motivation throughout the book, forcing readers to have suspicions about the same person whom they are encouraged to like. Is Benny’s friendship with Jet real? Or is he simply recognising on which side his bread is buttered? Is his concern for the life of his brother real, or is it just leverage to keep breaking the law? As I've already said, when a character is likable we tend to assume the best of them, (much like people are more likely to think positively of a person who is physically attractive,) and I wanted Benny to be a constant unanswered question in the mind’s of readers. Like him or not, Benny might be up to no good.
Finally, Benny has a dark past, yet another way in which I introduce doubts about this lovable man. The thread is only briefly hinted at in the first book of the series, but is explored much more deeply in the second two books. The idea here is to explore whether people deserve a second chance, and whether it is right to forgive sins committed long ago. Most agree that “water under the bridge” is a fair philosophy, but I wanted to ask just how deep that water can be and still be completely forgotten.
I’ll go more into that as the second and third books are released.
Images by Jason Heritage