No Maps For These Roads

I've been thinking lately about the types of characters and stories I seem to seek out on purpose or subconsciously. As someone in his twenties and currently looking for work, I noticed the recurring themes once I stopped to take a look. I tend to relate to characters who seek their place in life while keeping a small circle of people around them. Not that those traits are all that I'm interested in, but they do seem to be parts of the major players in my movie and comics collections as well as my TV choices. I do enjoy seeing characters not sure about their future as they figure out who they'll be.

I certainly was fascinated to watch more of the Connors dealing with their destiny in the Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series this season. The idea of going back in time and messing with a historic figure's mind by telling him exactly what he'll be someday continues to fascinate me. John Connor is told at school age that he'll be the military leader who leads mankind against the machines. That's like telling a young George Washington that he'll win the Revolutionary War and turn a group of colonies into a superpower. Well, nuclear war and terminators are a bigger specter than British soldiers, but I'm comparing sci-fi and history here. The hook is having that uncertainty removed and seeing how people deal with filling the gap between what they are and what they'll be now that they know. That time of discovering your role in life is sped up at least for Sarah and John. They both study military strategy, weapons, tactics, enemy behavior, technology etc. and put themselves on track for what looms as best they can.

On the less grim end of the spectrum is NBC's series, Chuck, about a Buy More (pseudo-Best Buy) employee finding himself living a double life working for the CIA. The show does have dramatic touches but is meant to be on the lighter side. Still, I find myself identifying all too well with the idea of the lead character dissatisfied with his current situation and wanting to be more. The first season was fun and accomplished a lot considering the writers strike's impact, and it'll be welcome to see Chuck again next season.

The spy genre also produces Sydney Bristow (Alias) and Jason Bourne on the more dramatic side. Both are highly skilled at what they do with the problem being that they want no part of the job anymore. Being burdened by what they are as they battle for personal freedom to change is another recurring type of characterization that can really work when done well.

Moving from spies to comics, characters like Bruce Wayne/Batman and Peter Parker/Spider-Man are constants in the super hero genre. Peter Parker doesn't seem to be necessarily using his college degree thanks to Spider-Man's distraction. Writers have had him go from photographer to various science-related jobs to teacher and back to the Daily Bugle again. He is always in the process of figuring his life out.

Then there's Bruce Wayne defined by his role as Gotham's central figure and is seemingly different than the other characters mentioned so far. He fascinates as someone who's found their calling so completely, but the road to that point is still an amazing backstory that hasn't been explored in-depth. There are bits and pieces about Bruce's training years, but the epics still seem to start with his first year as the Bat and onward. When he set out at the beginning, he wasn't certain about exactly what he'd become, so there had to be a struggle which is hinted at in the comics as well as the film, Batman Begins.

I suppose part of the appeal of the characters discussed so far is seeing people become what they're supposed to be and reminding myself that there's still so much time to go. I do wince a little when I watch a character like Max (Jamie Foxx) in Collateral who starts the film seeming to have let his goals slip by. Those scenes in Walk the Line where Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) struggles as a salesman until getting his record deal resonate as well. It's just nice to see how others have found their way as I wonder how I'll get there too.