And they live on in our hearts

Almost all bookaholics have, at one time or another, wished that some of the characters that they have read about actually existed. The reasons can be elaborate or trivial. It can be something they said, a noble deed they did or the simple way in which they responded to adversities in life. It can be that you see people around you in some of these characters, or you wish for certain people to be like specific fictional characters.

A tête-à-tête with some avid book lovers reveals that they each have their own list of characters that they admire. Graduate student Hira Tahir says, ‘the characters I want to be real are Mr Knightley from Emma, Michael Olson from Christopher Pike’s Final Friends Trilogy and Sirius Black, from the Harry Potter series. Put plainly, they are all very fanciable. Sirius is hot, handsome and one of the most talented wizards of his age. Michael is very intelligent. He has the most beautiful set of brains you ever laid eyes on. Mr Knightley is a true gentleman - a dying breed.’

Mahwash Ajaz, who is a faculty member at a private university, names Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter series), Emily Starr (Emily of New Moon series by Lucy Maud Montgomery), Professor Henry Higgins (Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw), Hamlet (Hamlet by William Shakespeare) and Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee) as her all-time favorite characters.

‘Dumbledore’s a sage’, she says. ‘He’s the man with answers. In a world of confusion, who doesn’t want someone like that? Emily Starr is possibly the most interesting kid of her age. She writes poetry, waits for ‘the flash’, a thrill that goes through her at odd inspiring moments, and apparently has a vivid imagination. A child like that would be extremely fun (or a handful) to have around. Professor Henry Higgins is a confirmed bachelor with a love for phonetics. Nothing could be more interesting than blasting apart his reasons against marriage. I picked Hamlet because I want to finally lay rest the debate regarding the Oedipus complex. That’s right. I want Hamlet to be real because I want him to go into therapy.’

Interestingly, Nausheen Fazal ur Rehman also cites Albus Dumbledore and Atticus Finch as her favorite characters along with Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) and Sydney Carton (Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens). ‘Albus Dumbledore is extremely intelligent and powerful, he possesses qualities of immense kindness and infinite wisdom, and has the ability to see good in people who are generally not accepted by most’, she says. ‘Jane Eyre is no doubt the strongest heroine in literary fiction to date. In the book she is not described as a beautiful woman, instead she is rather plain-featured, simple and small. However, there is a well-defined beauty about her, and that is her heart. She is also very reserved which adds to the beauty of her character. She possesses an unusual sense of morality when it comes to making decisions. She stands out from other female protagonists who are generally beautiful, and initially shallow and overly passionate. Not only is Jane a strong character, she is also a strong woman.’

‘Atticus Finch is a very upright character; he represents the moral ideal of both a lawyer and a human being. He is intelligent, brutally honest, highly moral, a tireless crusader for good causes (even hopeless ones), a pacifist and, for the most part, devoid of any of the racial or class prejudices afflicting the other citizens of the fictional town of Maycomb. As for Sydney Carton, his dual personality, one that is selfless and sensitive, as well as self-pitying and inconsiderate, makes him one of the most fascinating characters in English literature. Carton makes the great sacrifice for Lucie. He dies a redeemed hero.’

Atticus Finch is also popular with undergraduate student Sarah Akram. But she cautions, ‘to name fictional characters that we would want to come to life is a very difficult task. During the course of our reading, we may fall in love with characters like Catherine and Heathcliff, Hamlet, Maggie Tulliver (The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot), etc. but can we actually accept the presence of such highly individualistic characters in our lives? Despite all the depth and profundity, which are traits common to all these characters, they would be — in my opinion — hard to cope with in real life’.

‘Nevertheless, there are some characters which, if they existed in real, would be admired by many if not all. And most of these characters are those that are quite moral by nature. Atticus Finch is one such character. Morally upright, full of wisdom and integrity, he is a man of principles. He never looks down upon those who differ with him. Such is the magnanimity of his character. His speech is never merely words — it is a collection of words that opens an entirely new world before the reader to experience and reflect upon.’

Seher Farouk names Gilbert Blythe (Anne series by Lucy Maud Montgomery), Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara (Gone with the Wind) as the characters that she admires. ‘Gilbert Blythe is very popular amongst many’, she explains ‘He’s a true lover, loyal husband, sweet father, ambitious doctor and good-looking companion. Rhett Butler is a strong-headed, passionate yet sensible lover. He may not be very good-looking but has the killing charm to behold any female. Scarlett is a character who can add spice to an otherwise routine life — she is an unstable character, but very attractive personality. Such people can be difficult but they possess an aura and charm that attracts attention.’

No doubt it takes a very active imagination and sheer talent on the part of the author to create characters like Mr Darcy and Max de Winter the stir the emotions of readers. It takes some talent to come up with the likes of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley who make one yearn for them to exist in real life. The creators of such memorable characters have ensured that their creations will live in the hearts of readers for generations to come.