Piercing the Dark: Portraying Joy and Hope in Fiction

          

Today’s media has become fraught with despair and hatred. So often, we have seen genres fall into glorifying evil or portraying the fact that there’s no true hope or joy to be found in certain situations. Whether a rebel army that fails, the darkness of a dystopian society, or a murderer that seems unconquerable, these stories often end with readers coming away feeling down and depressed. I’ve experienced this dissatisfaction myself on many occasions. Yes, good prevails, but no true relief, joy, and hope are shown. The world is indeed better than before, but in no way is it good. 

In a world full of darkness, our readers need that hope and joy. Followers of Christ are told to rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16) and to give thanks in all circumstances. No matter how dark the night, hope and joy can always shine through. 

With that said, how can we accurately portray joy and hope, especially in situations where hope seems futile? How can we elicit the same emotional charge from our hope and joy as we do from our pain and sorrow?

Creating Your Characters

First off, we need to have protagonists who are pursuing good. Something that I’ve seen way too much of–in the secular media world specifically–is the number of protagonists that are slightly better than the villain, but aren’t truly good. The lesser of two evils is who we root for, but we don’t feel that true feeling of accomplishment at the story’s end. We can only sympathize so much because we see who they truly are. We see the darkness lurking within them–their pride, selfishness, and greed. While the best characters are indeed flawed, their flaws cannot go unchecked. The truly good protagonist will fight their struggles. 

Why is this important for creating effective portrayals of joy and hope in fiction? I would say that in order to experience true joy, your protagonist has to truly be good. While they will not be perfect, they need to have that capacity deep within them. The evil character cannot know true joy or hope until they are truly good.

Your characters need to be clear in their motivations and also in who they are. They should have secrets, of course, but they need to be motivated by good desires for us to root for them. They should be struggling, hurting, but the biggest boost to joy comes from showing their struggles. When you see how much they hurt, the joy is so much brighter. Just like when you shine a candle in a dark room, your character’s joy, even in the darkest situation, is so much more impactful that way. 

Creating Joy and Hope in Sorrow

One of the biggest emotional hitters comes from an effective scene of joy, especially in the darker genres like dystopian, suspense, or mystery. You connect with your protagonist when you see contrasting sides of them. Especially in a story where mostly darkness reigns, the small sliver of hope and light can mean everything. Here is a short snippet I wrote as an example:

***

Why had he broken up with me? I loved him. I loved him.

I pressed my forehead into the ground, not caring how the grain stung my sensitive skin. A knock sounded at my door, and I wiped my eyes, shaking my head a few times. 

“Who is it?” I choked out toward the door. 

“It’s Lisa,” a sweet voice comes from the other side. I fight the tears back as I push myself to my hands and knees, then to my feet, pressing a hand to my head as the room spins around me. 

“Come in.”

When the door swung open, Lisa stared at me, then wrapped me in an embrace. I sobbed into her shoulder, not caring as she led me inside and onto the couch of my small apartment. 

“It’s okay, sis. I love you.”

Tears flowed even more freely than I thought possible, but I nestled my head on my older sister’s shoulder. She stroked my back, whispering reassurances into my hair. 

After what seemed like centuries, I pulled away, my head throbbing. She looked at me with soft eyes. 

“I brought some ice cream and rented your favorite movie…do you think that would help?”

I laughed slightly, then nodded. “I think it will.”

Lisa pulled out the mostly melted ice cream. “It’s a little warm, but–” 

I throw my arms around her. “It’s perfect.”

She hugs me back, then winks. 

“Let’s do this.”

An hour later, in the middle of my favorite movie with my favorite person, I looked over at Lisa. She smiled at me, then wrapped her arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on her shoulder, a deep peace filling my heart. 

And as the actors spoke my favorite line for the thousandth time, I exchanged looks with Lisa…and I laughed. No matter what, I knew that I would have a sister to lean on even in the darkest hour, and when she wasn’t there, I would have a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.

***

Do you see how the contrast between joy and sorrow is clearly shown? Now, you didn’t feel as deep of an emotional connection to these characters because you don’t know their background, but I hope that demonstrated my point. Joy is often most prevalent in the darkest of times. 

Hope is the same thing. In every situation, there is hope. Whether it’s the far-out possibility of escape from a prison to the chance of making the soccer team, we all know the power of hope. Hope can either disappoint us when it’s not placed well, or can fuel us when placed in the right place. Adding hope to your story can give your protagonist the fuel they need to accomplish their goal. 

To do this effectively, I would give the same advice as I give everyone: pull from your own experiences. Maybe, like Tina, you’ve gone through a painful breakup. Pull from that to fuel your sorrow and your healing to fuel your joy. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one and found healing. Use your experiences to your advantage. The most powerful writers are those who write with truth. 

Portraying Joy in Good Times

This one is much easier to pin down, at least for me. Most of you have seen joy in the eyes of a new mother, a proud father, or an excited child. We have seen happiness in a simple bite of a favorite food or a small victory, such as a basketball game. The struggle comes when we want to balance reality and joy. How do we portray this in a non-cheesy way?

As I said above, pulling from personal experience is the most effective way to accomplish this, but here are some questions to ask when determining if your character’s joy is merited:

1. Does your character truly love this thing?

2. Is the amount of joy consistent with your character’s personality?

3. Does this take away from the story or enhance it?

These can help you to evaluate if it’s realistic. Asking your friends and fellow writers can also help. And, as a side note to number three: joy can also enhance sorrow, so not all “meaningless” joy is truly meaningless. The simple act of a father hugging his child can cause intense pain if that father has passed away or left. Joy can fuel pain, and pain can fuel joy. Take this into consideration when interspersing scenes of  pure joy amid your suffering. Evaluate the effect and judge accordingly. 

Conclusion

Joy and hope are two of the most powerful weapons that a writer has in their toolkit. They are able to change the entire tone of a story and provide relief from the endless pain and sorrow of a dark story. Weaving golden threads amid the dark ones of your story can keep readers hooked and also inspire them. Your writing influences readers in ways that most people don’t understand, and adding joy can inspire them to hope even when it seems illogical. You can bring a beacon of light in a dark world even when it seems impossible. You can be the spark that calls readers to greatness. 

So write, Radiant Writers, and inspire your readers to hope again. 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

~Alaina