Characters Who Aren't "Normal," part 2

Image description: Luna Lovegood, as seen in the Harry Potter film series, being her usual quirky self. Luna's quirkiness is a huge part of her character, but it's also one of her biggest sources of strength. Just like I did in a post last year, today I'm discussing characters who choose not to live "normal" lives and discuss how these iconic characters can be sources of comfort and inspiration to people like me and to all sorts of people as well.

Something I have been bothered by for a long time – and have discussed on the blog a great deal – is the way the word “normal” is often weaponized to make people of different identities feel like they don’t belong. This is something I imagine affects people of various queer identities in various different ways, but in my experience as an AroAce person, when people discuss “normal life” or “normal relationships,” they’re almost always exclusively referring to things relating to sex, romance, and sometimes even marriage and having children. Of course, these things (or a combination of them) are indeed the norm for many people and there is nothing wrong with any of these things whatsoever; but to consider these things “normal” tends to imply that anyone who doesn’t have these things is “abnormal” or is living an “abnormal life,” and that’s where I take exception to this concept.

Not having one or more of these things is not exclusive to just aspec people or aspec-related identities, but can affect people of all backgrounds and identities, making it all the more worthy of unpacking, as I have done many times. Oftentimes when I analyze the fallacy of “normal,” I look at characters with aspec tendencies and how the societal definition of normal is an insulting hinderance to them at best and bigoted at worst. However, in a post I did last year, I looked at this from a slightly different lens instead, choosing to focus not on aspec-adjacent characters or characters for whom “normal life” might be defined using those stereotypical metrics mentioned above. Rather, I analyzed a few characters who didn’t meet the expectations of their society in other ways, but discussed how their ability to shirk the status quo is actually part of what makes them iconic heroes.

Because different societies and cultures – both those in the real world and those created for fictional ones – have different metrics of normal life, I believe analyzing how these characters break out of the norm and thus break down barriers is a great idea. They can either teach us how we can do likewise when we encounter the same barriers in our lives, or else they encourage us, by showing us another world, to rethink the parameters of our own. As I said in that previous post, many characters who defy societal expectations or norms are considered among the best or most iconic in our media landscape. These are characters who refuse to do what they’re told and are often portrayed as heroic for it, or are able to do things that other people can’t because those people obey the status quo, whereas our heroes blaze their own trail, which makes it even more ironic that people in the real world want those around them to be normal, while also viewing these characters with respect or admiration.

Today, I’d like to explore more of these characters who exist throughout various media who are not “normal” by the metrics of their society, but who capture the hearts and minds of audiences for precisely that reason. Just like last time, I’m not necessarily saying these characters are aspec nor am I analyzing them as such in this post, but am simply taking a look at what makes these characters “different” and why those differences are an asset to them and an integral part of the stories in which they appear. By looking at how these characters’ differences make them the ideal choice to go on adventures, help battle evil, or do things that even they didn’t think were possible, I think we can push back a bit at the idea of being “normal.”

Spoiler warning! 

The Lord of the Ring series

Harry Potter series

Various Sherlock Holmes related media

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Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings series

Image description: Frodo as he appears in the film adaptations of the fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings

In my previous post on this subject, I began by talking about Bilbo Baggins, so it seems only fitting that I discuss his nephew (technically his young cousin) here. Bilbo’s nephew, Frodo Baggins, is the main protagonist of the fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien, perhaps one of the most beloved, famous, and influential works of fantasy fiction ever created, making it all the more fitting that arguably two of the most important characters in the entire series – Bilbo and Frodo – are both considered abnormal by the society in which they live. As I mentioned in that last post, both Bilbo and Frodo come from an unusual line of hobbits, and are seen as oddities because of that fact. Although Bilbo definitely comes to be seen as more of an oddity than Frodo, especially later in his life, it’s the reason why they’re ultimately different from other hobbits around them that make them both fitting examples of this topic.

Whereas most hobbits are content to live quiet lives in their hobbit-holes, safe and wanting for very little, both Bilbo and Frodo make the choice to go on dangerous quests, much farther away from the Shire than any hobbit before them has gone. Frodo’s journey is a bit more earth-shattering and a bit more dramatic in quality than Bilbo’s quest, making it a bit more of a necessity that he undertakes it, but I imagine most hobbits would have deliberately ignored this quest, even if it fell into their laps. Frodo, however, takes it on even when there are times when he wishes to quit, and that willingness to do something great is both abnormal in his society and extraordinary in general.

Using this logic, I think it can be argued that all the hobbits of the Fellowship of the Ring can likewise be seen as abnormal in the best possible ways. By leaving the safety and peace of the Shire to have their adventure, they are choosing to do something unusual but ultimately extremely important, leading to their own personal growth in ways that make them different from everyone else around them. In the case of Merry and Pippin the literal growth they experience on the journey makes them visibly different from the other hobbits, something which is no doubt symbolic of the personal growth they’ve experienced after all their trials and tribulations.

Even Sam, who does return to the Shire to have what’s considered a normal life (both by his society and by ours), has nevertheless gone through a tremendous amount of personal growth and so many experiences and has become an incredible hero in his own right. More than that, Sam’s heroics are based in friendship and loyalty, and most of what the hobbits are able to accomplish comes not through being strong or powerful, but by being brave and true. So in a way, they are not only subverting the expectations of their own society, but the expectations of the people around them and our own expectations as well. They not only prove that heroism doesn’t only have one shape, but they demonstrate that daring to go beyond the limits of society is what creates true heroes.

Of course, as I mentioned, the four hobbits of the Fellowship do eventually return to the Shire, showing us that “normal” life is a constant, even when we ourselves have changed. Something that’s always struck me about Frodo is the poignant fact that his journey changes him so much that he can’t go back to his previous way of life. While on some level that is sad – especially when you consider how perilous the journey was versus how peaceful the Shire is – I think there is something deeper that can be gleaned from Frodo’s inability to return to the “normalcy” of the world around him.

Frodo has grown so much on the journey and has learned so much about himself and the world outside that he can’t return to complacency, even if that might be otherwise considered more peaceful. In a way, I can relate to that, and I think that any amount of self-discovery leads to not being able to go back to the way things were. In order to grow and learn, there has to be some level of sacrifice, which is something all the hobbits make, Frodo especially. I think that is something that’s very important to portray in media, especially fantasy, where it can be all too easy to give our heroes stereotypical “happy endings” and call it a day.

But if Frodo’s journey moves us or inspires us, I think it’s important to remind ourselves that it all starts because he doesn’t do what’s expected or societally acceptable, but rather does something out of the ordinary, meaning that him breaking out of typical definitions of “normal” is vitally important. One of the most important themes of The Lord of the Rings is that even a being who might otherwise be seen as insignificant has the power to save the world. While most of us won’t ever have to do anything as world-alteringly important as Frodo did, I think he reminds us that we should be respected for being different because our differences are important.

Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series

Image description: Luna as she appears in the film adaptations of the Harry Potter series

Admittedly, given the latter-day controversies of series author J.K. Rowling, it is somewhat ironic that one of my favorite characters who bucks the idea of supposed normalcy can be found within the Harry Potter series. But Luna Lovegood is and always has been one such character, and a figure who I believe is nevertheless deeply inspirational to anyone who is seen as something of an outsider or non-conformist. First introduced in the novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Luna is a bit of an oddball. She believes in strange, unorthodox things, and makes most of her decisions based on feelings rather than logic.

While most of the time this means people around her think she’s crazy – or, as the mean-spirited nickname she is given says, “loony” – it actually turns out to not only be Luna’s greatest strength, but something that is vitally important in the grand scheme of things. Primarily, Luna and her father are among some of the only people who believe that Lord Voldemort has returned following the events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which means that their fringe newspaper The Quibbler is one of the only publications that is actually reporting this vital news.

While everyone else is content to see the world in the safe manner they have been told and are willing to accept the comfortable lie, it is Luna’s ability to see the world differently and her lack of fear about being different that allows her to see the truth. Although we don’t get much of Luna’s backstory throughout the series, what we do see makes this attitude perfectly understandable. One of the most defining elements of Luna’s backstory is witnessing the death of her mother when she was a child, something which doubtless made it so that she had to face the truth of the world a lot sooner than many other people. On a more visible level, this allows her to see the magical creatures known as Thestrals, something she shares with Harry, serving as a reminder that it’s not a bad thing to be different or to have different life experiences.

Something else we see clearly portrayed is the fact that Luna has no friends until she becomes part of Harry’s friend group, which means she cherishes them even more dearly when she does have them. Not only is this poignant when you look at it from Luna’s perspective, as she’s cherishing the people who accepted and understood her, but it’s poignant when you consider that Harry and his friends have likewise been marginalized and pushed aside at times. The theme of friendship in Luna’s story – and in the Harry Potter series in general – is an extremely powerful one, and it shows that loyalty and sacrifice for one’s friends are an important part of love.

Due to her emotional perceptiveness, I think Luna beautifully embodies this theme, but I love that Luna isn’t only portrayed as emotional; in fact, she’s a Ravenclaw, implying that she is dreamy, but not vapid, and I’d like to think that she embodies the lesser-explored traits of Ravenclaw house such as creativity and learning. Despite not having a character like Hermione’s flare for logic or book-learning, Luna has a natural curiosity that sets her apart from most of the people around her and an ability to see past the typical conventions of her society. There are several facets of her character that make this abundantly obvious, especially in her appreciation and respect for beings that are often considered “less than” by other wizards.

In many ways, Luna reminds me of another one of my favorite characters – Cole from the Dragon Age series, another character who isn’t normal, but who has an overwhelming amount of kindness and compassion despite that fact. For very different reasons, of course, they both embody a quality that I think we could all use more of: the fact that they’re kind because they’re different, not despite it. While it’s very inspiring to see characters who choose kindness even when the world doesn’t extend kindness to them, I am personally even more inspired by characters whose predilection for kindness stems from the fact that they see the world differently, and thus are not swayed by the usual dark emotions of the world around them.

In most modern media, we are conditioned to see these types of characters – and even real people – as “childish” and “immature.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen pure-hearted people be told to “grow up” or “get real” because they hold attitudes that society doesn’t typically value; but these people and characters are often very deep and emotionally mature, albeit in different ways. Once again, it is precisely because they’re different that they’re able to thrive and do the things most “normal” people would never be able to. Luna reminds us that sometimes it’s a very good thing to see the world upside down or through a different lens, and for that reason she will always be one of my favorite characters, not just in Harry Potter, but in general, because I believe we can all learn so much from her – an attitude I know I’m not alone in.

Sherlock Holmes

Image description: An 1891 illustration of Sherlock Holmes, as done by the usual illustrator for the stories, Sidney Paget

Unlike the other characters in this post, Sherlock Holmes is a character I’ve discussed a few different times on the blog in various iterations due to the aspec elements of his character. But besides these aspec-adjacent elements of his personality, Sherlock Holmes in all his forms is a perfect fit for the subject of this post because Holmes is, by his very definition, not normal, but is easily one of the most iconic and famous characters ever created due to this fact. Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is described as the world’s only consulting detective, who uses his exceptional powers of observation and deduction to solve crimes.

Not only are Holmes’ methods unique and very different from the norm, but so is his lifestyle, so much so that Holmes almost seems not human at times. Admittedly, that is portrayed as variously good or bad depending on what piece of Sherlock Holmes related media you’re consuming and can be a little complicated when you examine these things from an aspec lens. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that Holmes would literally not be able to do what he does if it weren’t for the “abnormal” elements of his personality. Like the other characters on this list, it’s the fact that he circumvents the expectations of the world around him that allows him to do extraordinary things.

There is another vital lesson that I think Holmes represents – which it can be argued the other characters on this list also represent well – and it’s one I think we can all learn from: the idea that the “normal” and the “abnormal” can and should coexist. Sherlock Holmes is an incredible character who does extraordinary things but, by his own admission, he’d be lost without his friend and colleague Dr. Watson, who chronicles their adventures together. In some ways, Dr. Watson embodies a normal life and in other ways he shirks this (after all, anyone who spends some time around Holmes and solves crimes with him can’t be entirely normal), but most Holmes-related media tends to portray Watson as the “normal” one in the relationship, the one who is always constantly baffled and amazed by Holmes’ methods.

So, if we view Watson as “normal” and Holmes as outside of that standard of normal, we have one of the best examples ever created that these worldviews don’t have to be inherently at odds. Rather, like pieces of a puzzle, they can fit together, helping each other and working in harmony. Too often in our world – and in our media – we act like people who don’t fit our paradigm don’t belong and should be ignored, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Rather, some of the best media actually proves to us that being different, “other,” or not “normal” is a tremendous source of strength for some characters, just like being “normal” can be a source of strength for others. All we have to do is fill in the gaps for one another.

Image description: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson as they appear in Sherlock, the modern-day BBC adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes stories and a subject I've covered before on the blog.

As I said at the end of my first post on this subject, this list of characters who shirk normalcy is so far from complete. Something that I love about analyzing a topic like this is that the list can, theoretically, be endless, since different people will likely have different ideas about when a character is breaking free from their society’s definition of normal. In my intro to this post, I mentioned that this non-conformity takes so many different shapes and forms depending on various factors, and characters breaking away from societal standards will always represent different things to different people and will touch us all in unique ways. These are just a few of the characters who personally speak to me and whose non-conformity remind me of important things in my own life.

When I make these posts – whether it’s list posts such as this or simply my posts analyzing “normal” and what it even means – I hope I can remind people that so many of the characters we admire and venerate in our media are actually not “normal.” In fact, their stories are built upon that simple truth. These are characters who, because they see the world differently than most other people, are able to do exceptional things and become heroes. These are characters who are able to do the things no one else could, precisely because they’re different from all the people who came before them. They prove to us that being different isn’t something to be rebuked, but something to be celebrated.

At the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with the metrics of life that many people consider normal, such as dating, marriage, having children, etc. – just like there’s nothing wrong with the definition of “normal” that the characters I’ve mentioned here also have to deal with. There’s nothing wrong with the hobbits who choose to remain in the Shire and live quiet lives or the wizards who choose to not believe in unusual creatures or the everyday folks in Victorian England who couldn’t deduce where someone was by the mud on their shoes. But there’s nothing wrong with the hobbits who choose to go on incredible adventures to do something vitally important that no one else could or would do, or the young witch who chose to believe in the impossible, or the consulting detective who solved the problems no one else could solve.

And so too there’s nothing wrong with being a person who never dates or doesn’t want a romance or who never has children or who dislikes sex. Life doesn’t have to be divided into the normal and the abnormal, and those who choose to live different lives shouldn’t be made to feel bad. Much like these characters, I believe we should encourage people to explore their differences and live their truth, and that they should be celebrated for it. Maybe we won’t all be heroes and explorers, but if we can at least be allowed to live our own lives and be ourselves, I think that would be more than enough.