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Do you prefer flawed or virtuous characters?

Do you prefer flawed or virtuous characters?

Carolyn #questionnaire

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124 Answers

Joanna

Flawed!

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Judy

Flawed are far more interesting

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Daniel

Flawed

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Katy

Flawed!!

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Lauralyn

Flawed. The virtuous characters thing made Mansfield Park a huge drag.

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Elyse

Flawed – I can relate to them more 😉

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Alisha

Both

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Lori

Flawed!!! They’re more realistic. No one is perfect.

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Barbara

Flawed but with some redeeming character

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Lisa

Flawed

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Rachel

I like interesting characters. No one likes a cardboard cutout.

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Debbie

Flawed!

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Wendy

Flawed.

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Goldfinch

Flawed as in humanly flawed; but not sociopathic or evil.

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CarolynQuestion author

Agreed

0
Donna-Marie

Both in the same book

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Cinda

I like not only flawed but unlikable characters.

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Cat

I prefer believable characters, in realistic situations in actual settings.

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Jackie

Well both.

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Cindy

Flawed

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Tracee

Flawed enough to make the story interesting but still relatable if not likable.

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Jeanne

Flawed

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Vicki

Both

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Kathleenellen

Flawed..

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Mimi

Wonderful question! I can’t think of many virtuous characters that I liked. My favorite saints are flawed.

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Chris

Flawed characters who really want to be virtuous.

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Mindy

Everyone is flawed, even the virtuous. So do I prefer the flawed who know it or the virtuous who don’t? They both make for good reading if the writer gets it right.

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Jeannie

Both … When I read the Harry Potter series as an adult, I wished that such an imperfect character had been written for us. Someone who realistically expressed emotions like anger, fear, and jealousy, letting readers know it’s okay to have these feelings.

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Andrea

Oh, interesting perspective. I am in my 40s and just finished reading the series for the first time. What I liked is that I felt like so many of the characters *were* flawed, not the least of which was Sirius (and James Potter for that matter). But even Dumbledore was imperfect. And Harry was a downright Bratty McJerkface sometimes.

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Megan

Flawed, all the way!

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Teresa

Yes!😜

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Pamela

Yes….both!

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Nora

With the exception of Atticus Finch, virtuous is boring!

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Karen

I just wrote almost the exact same comment below!

1
Ginny

Flawed

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Andrea

Flawed, but with some redeeming qualities.

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Angie

Are they mutually exclusive?

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David

Flawed – like most of us!

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Charles

A virtuous character can’t be flawed? A flawed character can’t be virtuous?

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CarolynQuestion author

Yes and yes.

1
Mishelle

Flawed, they are more relatable to me. Also, imperfection is humanity. IMO

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Amanda

Flawed

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Karen

Flawed – more relatable (notable exception: Atticus Finch in TKAM)

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Jennifer

Flawed

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Linda

Both

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Jennifer

Flawed. Definitely.

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Mags

I like characters that are strong. I don’t care if they are “good” or “bad” as long as they have something that is important to them and they stick to it. I dislike the modern trend of characters who are flawed for the sake of being flawed. Some authors add in annoying traits, supposedly to make the characters more realistic, but all they accomplish is creating a character I don’t want to spend time with. Most books that I give up on reading get abandoned because I can’t stand a major character.

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Jacqueline

You can be both.. Those are the best characters..

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Lee

What a good question! Since we are all flawed, I like relatable characters. Therefore I liked them with flaws. I really hate when the main character is not at all likable. It’s hard to read and relate. Jayne

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P

both

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Kimberly

I like when the flawed and virtuous character are played against each other and then they switch roles! Both 😁

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Billy

I can handle a flawed character such as Jake Barnes in “The Sun Also Rises”, but I did not like Tim O’Brien’s protagonist in “The Things They Carried” or Robert Leckie in his memoir “Helmet For My Pillow”.

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Meg

Both – Flawed characters are more realistic and interesting!

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Jenna

Flawed

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Johanna

I like complex characters with soul

1
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Sheryl

I like both but if I really had to choose it would be flawed.

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Sheri

Both.

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Becky

Too perfect and they’re boring, lacking depth. Too flawed and I don’t want to spend time with such a person. Their humanity comes in being a blend, striving but not always succeeding.

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Betty

Combo, that’s humanity

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Erica

My favorite is flawed with good intent. One of my all time favorite examples of this is Lancelot from Once and Future King.

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Jessica

Flawed

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Erica

Both. But maybe flawed just a tiny bit more 🙂

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Jane

Flawed characters can be virtuous. Nobody is perfect.

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Bobbie

The exact words I intended to write! 👍🏻

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Nicole

Definitely flawed.

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Judy

Flawed mostly but I think complex is a better word because even virtuous ones can be complex and interesting.

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Jane

Flawed becoming virtuous or virtuous becoming flawed

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Colleen

Read Gentleman In Moscow which is he?

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Lisa

Flawed. They are more realistic.

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Kate

Balanced characters. I do not like characters that are too perfect or too evil. I want to see a little of both sides of them.

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Robyn

Both – it’s only human!

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Cami

Flawed characters are much morw interesting. I am currently reading Gone with the Wind and there is a reason why we love Scarlett and not Melly.

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Amy

Flawed….

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Sonya

Flawed! I can relate to them.

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Deborah

Virtuous

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Sue

Flawed. Virtue is a wonderful quality but not very exciting to read about. I would also generally rather read about the struggling than the rich.

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Mary

Both.

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Anyte

Yes,booth…….

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Lisa

Usually flawed

1
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Tanya

Flawed but striving to be virtuous–in a realistic, human way.

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Angelique

Flawed – we’re all flawed

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Judy

Perfect characters are not believable.

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Nemo

I don’t think they are mutually exclusive characteristics. Virtuous characters who get challenged again and again make for good stories too!

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Dawn

Flawed

1
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Megan

Flawed

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Angela

Flawed, like the rest of us.

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Caren

Someone can be both flawed and virtuous. Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice comes to mind.

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Elaine

Just ordinary humans

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Katheryn

I prefer flawed BUT virtuous, the idea of good but room for improvement is intrguing.

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CarolynQuestion author

It makes for a good story.

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Katheryn

sorry, typo, intriguing

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Nancy

Flawed

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Betty

Combo too boring. The other way

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Laura

Flawed

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Toni

I like the “bad” ones.

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Lynne

Flawed

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Kevin

Given that the novels I’m currently reading feature a conniving, Machiavellian clergyman (“Barchester Towers”), an adulteress and her lower-class lover (“Lady Chatterley’s Lover”), a crazed, obsessive whaling captain (“Moby Dick”), and two 18th century French libertines attempting to corrupt and wreck the happiness of the people in their orbit (“Les Liaisons Dangereuses”), I think it’s safe to say that my preference is for flawed characters.

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Loretta

I like characters who are both but primarily virtuous. They’re pretty rare in literature and real life so I definitely enjoy their uniqueness.

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Liane

Flawed, like real people. Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind is one that comes to mind.

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Jody

More realistic if they have flaws, and more relateable

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Georgia

Somewhere in between.

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Brooke

One whose character either rises or falls from one to the other.

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Eileen

Flawed.

1
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Kristin

Flawed

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Cathy

Virtuous…and I like happy endings too.

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Dani

Flawed wins every time for me.

2
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Glenna

Flawed with virtuous souls

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Barbara

Flawed, so much more interesting.

2
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Jessica

Flawed

1
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Mary

Dynamic characters who change in some significant way are usually more interesting…but then, Atticus Finch, one of my favorite characters was a morally good person, lawyer, and father throughout TKAM.

2
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Kelly

Flawed

1
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Rachel

You can be both.

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Amy

What a great question! I love redemption stories, so…both?

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Mary

As long as I don’t have to deal with them in real life, I like flawed. In real life, I prefer virtuous.

1
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Natalie

Flawed characters are more intriguing.

1
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Eileen

A book needs a problem that leads to a resolution, hopefully with some missteps along the way. Without character flaws, I don’t think that could make for a very interesting story.

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Darby

Flawed

1
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Lynn

Flawed characters hearts of gold and redeeming traits and virtuous characters with flaws and human traits.

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Karen

Flawed

1
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Kathy

Flawed.

1
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Patricia

Definitely flawed

1
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Lewis

Flawed because their exploits are more interesting to read than virtuous characters.

1
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Jean

Flawed. Far more interesting and true to life.

1
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Kate

Flawed because they are more real.

1
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