Literary characters that make you want to be a better person

p.falk · **Posted:** Tue Aug 15, 2017 4:41 pm

Might be a weird topic....

But in reading some books I've come across characters that made me want to be a better person.
In "Keys of the Kingdom" Father Francis Chisholm had that effect on me. Patiently trusting the will of God even when it appeared to put him in quite the bad way.

Now in "Great Expectations", the character of Joe Gargery is having a similar effect. Such a selflessness and loving devotion to those who provide him no reciprocal love (at least not immediately gleaned).

TreeBeard · **Posted:** Tue Aug 15, 2017 6:30 pm

Huckleberry Finn.

HalJordan · **Posted:** Mon Aug 28, 2017 6:53 pm

Galahad

Mrs. Timmy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 28, 2017 7:05 pm

Hazel-rah

gherkin · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:24 am

Mr. Crouchback.

Faramir and Sam Gamgee.

Atticus Finch.

Eustace Scrubb.

Mrs. Timmy · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:32 am

gherkin wrote:

Mr. Crouchback.

Faramir and Sam Gamgee.

Atticus Finch.

Eustace Scrubb.

What do you think of Atticus now that the second Harper Lee book came out? I kind of prefer living under the delusion that the second book (I don't even want to look up the name of it) was just a bad dream.

gherkin · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 9:51 am

Haven't read it.

My understanding is that he's presented as having an attitude that would today be described as racist. (But, then, since he's white, of course he's racist.) It's a prequel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7CX_5D6y6E

Riverboat · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 1:26 pm

p.falk wrote:

[I]n reading some books I've come across characters that made me want to be a better person. . .

Now in "Great Expectations", the character of Joe Gargery is having a similar effect. Such a selflessness and loving devotion to those who provide him no reciprocal love (at least not immediately gleaned).

This is a great choice. Old Joe sure put up with a lot of abuse, and then neglect. Still, in the end, he was just the same patient ol' Joe, with his arms open to Pip. And his life took a nice turn for the better as well.

Looking over all the books I've read (my records go back to 93), I chose characters that were edifying as well as vivid.

Sir Percy Blakeney - The Scarlet Pimpernel

Reb Tevye - Fiddler on the Roof

Tom Canty - Prince and the Pauper

Gabriel Oak - Far from the Madding Crowd

Highlander · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:51 pm

George Smiley

Odysseus

Kim

Yossarian

Dr. Watson

Garp

Yuri Zhivago

Horatius

Rhett Butler

Frodo

Don Quixote de la Mancha

Just to name a very, very few.

Highlander · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:53 pm

Mrs. Timmy wrote:

gherkin wrote:

Mr. Crouchback.

Faramir and Sam Gamgee.

Atticus Finch.

Eustace Scrubb.

What do you think of Atticus now that the second Harper Lee book came out? I kind of prefer living under the delusion that the second book (I don't even want to look up the name of it) was just a bad dream.

Got the book, but haven't read it yet. As is the case with about 300 that are in my "Next to Read" pile. Or mountain.

Mrs. Timmy · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 5:55 pm

Yuri Zhivago? Not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Or Rhett Butler, either (and I loved GWTW). I'd even put up a halfhearted argument on Frodo (simply because I think Samwise Gamgee's a better role model). But Dr. Watson and Don Quixote? Absobloominlootly.

Highlander · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 6:15 pm

Mrs. Timmy wrote:

Yuri Zhivago? Not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Or Rhett Butler, either (and I loved GWTW). I'd even put up a halfhearted argument on Frodo (simply because I think Samwise Gamgee's a better role model). But Dr. Watson and Don Quixote? Absobloominlootly.

Per the OP, I chose some characters that made me want to be a better person ... including negative role models who made me want to not be like them. I considered Milo Minderbinder, who repelled me. Rhett Butler is more complex. And Odysseus, albeit from a very, very different Greek culture, is not my hero at all. Similarly, Winston Smith and Julia from 1984 ... both repugnant, but understandably so. And Holden Caulfield really, really made me want to be a better person...even at age 14. Daisy Buchanan ... I vowed if I ever met a Daisy, I'd run. Anna Karenina, Humbert Humbert, Claudius and the MacBeths, Holly Golightly, the Duke of Bilgewater and the Lost Dauphin.

Scarlett O'Hara provides a lot of conflict. Evelyn Cyril "E.C." (Easy) Gordon from Glory Road is probably the major positive model.

And many, many, many more. Including other countries not heard from.

And, not from the book, obviously, but in one spirit of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQ6UMxVNLY

Mrs. Timmy · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:05 pm

OK, somewhere along the way, I forgot about negative examples. You're absolutely right in that, Highlander. My apologies. :salut:

GKC · **Joined:** Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:22 pm **Posts:** 19682

Highlander wrote:

Mrs. Timmy wrote:

Yuri Zhivago? Not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Or Rhett Butler, either (and I loved GWTW). I'd even put up a halfhearted argument on Frodo (simply because I think Samwise Gamgee's a better role model). But Dr. Watson and Don Quixote? Absobloominlootly.

Per the OP, I chose some characters that made me want to be a better person ... including negative role models who made me want to not be like them. I considered Milo Minderbinder, who repelled me. Rhett Butler is more complex. And Odysseus, albeit from a very, very different Greek culture, is not my hero at all. Similarly, Winston Smith and Julia from 1984 ... both repugnant, but understandably so. And Holden Caulfield really, really made me want to be a better person...even at age 14. Daisy Buchanan ... I vowed if I ever met a Daisy, I'd run. Anna Karenina, Humbert Humbert, Claudius and the MacBeths, Holly Golightly, the Duke of Bilgewater and the Lost Dauphin.

Scarlett O'Hara provides a lot of conflict. Evelyn Cyril "E.C." (Easy) Gordon from Glory Road is probably the major positive model.

And many, many, many more. Including other countries not heard from.

And, not from the book, obviously, but in one spirit of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQ6UMxVNLY

I'll call you Oscar. Save me an odalisque. Igli is a louse.

Highlander · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:50 pm

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

Mrs. Timmy wrote:

Yuri Zhivago? Not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Or Rhett Butler, either (and I loved GWTW). I'd even put up a halfhearted argument on Frodo (simply because I think Samwise Gamgee's a better role model). But Dr. Watson and Don Quixote? Absobloominlootly.

Per the OP, I chose some characters that made me want to be a better person ... including negative role models who made me want to not be like them. I considered Milo Minderbinder, who repelled me. Rhett Butler is more complex. And Odysseus, albeit from a very, very different Greek culture, is not my hero at all. Similarly, Winston Smith and Julia from 1984 ... both repugnant, but understandably so. And Holden Caulfield really, really made me want to be a better person...even at age 14. Daisy Buchanan ... I vowed if I ever met a Daisy, I'd run. Anna Karenina, Humbert Humbert, Claudius and the MacBeths, Holly Golightly, the Duke of Bilgewater and the Lost Dauphin.

Scarlett O'Hara provides a lot of conflict. Evelyn Cyril "E.C." (Easy) Gordon from Glory Road is probably the major positive model.

And many, many, many more. Including other countries not heard from.

And, not from the book, obviously, but in one spirit of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQ6UMxVNLY

I'll call you Oscar. Save me an odalisque. Igli is a louse.

I give. I got one.

GKC · **Joined:** Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:22 pm **Posts:** 19682

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

Mrs. Timmy wrote:

Yuri Zhivago? Not sure I'd agree with you on that one. Or Rhett Butler, either (and I loved GWTW). I'd even put up a halfhearted argument on Frodo (simply because I think Samwise Gamgee's a better role model). But Dr. Watson and Don Quixote? Absobloominlootly.

Per the OP, I chose some characters that made me want to be a better person ... including negative role models who made me want to not be like them. I considered Milo Minderbinder, who repelled me. Rhett Butler is more complex. And Odysseus, albeit from a very, very different Greek culture, is not my hero at all. Similarly, Winston Smith and Julia from 1984 ... both repugnant, but understandably so. And Holden Caulfield really, really made me want to be a better person...even at age 14. Daisy Buchanan ... I vowed if I ever met a Daisy, I'd run. Anna Karenina, Humbert Humbert, Claudius and the MacBeths, Holly Golightly, the Duke of Bilgewater and the Lost Dauphin.

Scarlett O'Hara provides a lot of conflict. Evelyn Cyril "E.C." (Easy) Gordon from Glory Road is probably the major positive model.

And many, many, many more. Including other countries not heard from.

And, not from the book, obviously, but in one spirit of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQ6UMxVNLY

I'll call you Oscar. Save me an odalisque. Igli is a louse.

I give. I got one.

Which one did you get?

Highlander · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:21 pm

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

I'll call you Oscar. Save me an odalisque. Igli is a louse.

I give. I got one.

Which one did you get?

The middle one.

And Anne Stanton from All the King's Men. Jack Burden does not impress me.

GKC · **Joined:** Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:22 pm **Posts:** 19682

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

I'll call you Oscar. Save me an odalisque. Igli is a louse.

I give. I got one.

Which one did you get?

The middle one.

And Anne Stanton from All the King's Men. Jack Burden does not impress me.

The other too are from GLORY ROAD too.

Highlander · **Posted:** Tue Sep 19, 2017 8:33 pm

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

I'll call you Oscar. Save me an odalisque. Igli is a louse.

I give. I got one.

Which one did you get?

The middle one.

And Anne Stanton from All the King's Men. Jack Burden does not impress me.

The other too are from GLORY ROAD too.

That was a guess, but not a certainty. It has been years since I read it. Thanks for the memories.

Rats, I just got, "I'll call you Oscar."

GKC · **Joined:** Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:22 pm **Posts:** 19682

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

GKC wrote:

Highlander wrote:

I give. I got one.

Which one did you get?

The middle one.

And Anne Stanton from All the King's Men. Jack Burden does not impress me.

The other too are from GLORY ROAD too.

That was a guess, but not a certainty. It has been years since I read it. Thanks for the memories.

Rats, I just got, "I'll call you Oscar."

You get one Star.

Back at you. I love that book.

Literary characters that make you want to be a better person

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