Mason and Dixon as Characters (was NPPF -- Why care about Kinbote?)

[davemarc]

  From: MalignD at aol.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2003 4:40 PM
  Subject: Re: NPPF -- Why care about Kinbote?


  I must say that I find the caption of this string depressing, the idea that one needs characters that are likeable, that one can identify with, that one can "care" about.

  Kinbote is pretty richly on the page:  witty, appalling, narcissisitic, delusional, grandiose, a ping-pong enthusiast -- not enough for you?

  Not to pick unnecessarily on TP, but to offer an example to hand:  did you find yourselves "caring" about either of those two-dimensional effigies, Mason or Dixon?


I cared about Mason and Dixon as characters. I don't agree that they're "two-dimensional effigies."

Regarding the issue of needing to care about characters, it simply seems that some readers want that to a higher degree than others. I suppose one ought to care about something in a work of fiction.

d.
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