That Word

[jeriendhal]

Okay, I've gotten some feedback on Partners focusing on me having Tim utter the "N" word, in the context of the Civil Rights movement. The comments were a combination of expressions of shock and discomfort, which is as it should be. I'll admit to deserving that, but I always want to make it clear that it was a deliberate, if admittedly on the fly, character choice for Tim to use it.

I hadn't intended for Tim to be actively racist, but closer to Race Clueless. He's a cop, he deals with race issues every day, even in supposedly peaceable Columbia, MD, so he's not blind to what he said. But using the word in the context of the conversation he was having with Blakely was meant to indicate the self-centeredness of his angsting at that particular moment (and the fact that he is a bit of a Good Ol' Boy who probably grew up among family members who used it much more indesciminantly). Basically he was only thinking of himself and his troubles, and not willing to put it in the context of people who had problems relating to their skin color (the difficulties of an African American also infected with lycanthropy or vampirism will have to be left for another book).

So yeah, a bit of RaceFail on Tim's part, but I hope not on my part. I think...

Comments

[secoh.livejournal.com]

Some people are hypersensitive. Especially when they assume the characters values are those of the writer.

[lilfluff.livejournal.com]

Oof. Racefail a debate that would be worthwhile if not for the presence of people who can simultaneously hold such views as A: Writing a character of another race is an act of racism no matter how you do the writing, and B: The lack of other races in someone's writing is in and of itself an act of racism.

With my standard Racefail gag reflex taken care of... I'd say my reaction is disappointment not to the author but with the character. More of a, "Tim! Really now, you ought to know better."

On the other hand, perfect characters tend to be boring characters.