Characterization help?

[toi-marguerite.livejournal.com]

Hey all!

I'm writing a NaNoWriMo novel that takes place from approximately 1788- 1799 and being the crazed fangirl that I am, I'm including as many Jacobins as I can get away with. I think I've got a good handle on Robespierre, since he's the main object of my obsession, but I do confess that I have nooooooooo idea at all how to characterize Saint- Just and Desmoulins. Aside from physical descriptions, I'm not quite sure what to do personality- wise to keep them as close to life as possible.

I would look at other historical fiction books as a guide, but then we get blood-thirsty-psycopathic-murderer!Saint- Just and dumb-as-a-rock!Desmoulins and I would rather avoid those since I've figured out that they're pretty much complete fabrications.

Thank you so much to anyone who can shed some light on the subject!

Comments

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

I wish I could really help, but my area of expertise also happens to be Robespierre--though I would advise you to take care where he's concerned, since (fantastically untrue, Thermidorian-esque characterizations aside) the difference between a good and bad characterization of Robespierre is more subtle than at first apparent. I don't mean to imply necessarily that you don't, as you say, have "a good handle" on him, just that it's always good to examine one's assumptions, even when one has gotten past the point of indifferently accepting propaganda.

As for Saint-Just, I'll second maelicia's suggestions, and add that it's gotten to be something of a cliché even in the best of novels to refer to Saint-Just as "icy" or some variant thereof. It's best to avoid any descriptors that make Saint-Just sound like the human-ice-cube-machine.

As far as Desmoulins goes, don't make him some sort of Glorious Martyr to Free Speech, because he wasn't that. Nor would I recommend making him incredibly innocent or unbelievably debauched. Don't try combining the two extremes either, because that never works. The best advice I can give where he's concerned is: forget, though it may be difficult, everything you've ever read about him coming from any fictional source. Also, avoid the cliché of making him Robespierre's Best Friend. There isn't really any evidence for that in the historical record, and it's far too overdone in fiction. (But then, I suppose this goes with my previous point.)

...Wow, it seems I had more to say on the subject than I thought. I hope it's helpful.

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

I had forgotten the ice-cube-machine part. Before I go on a vendetta against the "feminisation" characterisation, I was on a vendetta against the "ice-cube-machine" characterisation. XD;

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

And let us not forget the vendetta against the "Lucifer" characterization. Speaking of which, I found a book in which the protagonist constantly refers to Saint-Just as Lucifer. But then again, he is an aristo--and it's one of the more bizarre novels I've ever seen on the Revolution, as it has Scarlet Pimpernel-ish aspects, but the Pimpernel, in this case, is... Maxime. -___-;

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

It's the latest one. XD .......um?!? Maxime takes himself for an English Superhero for Aristocrats? He was hit on the head? Or rather, since that last question just introduces a head pun, someone tried to guillotine him and failed (!) and when he was sewed back, he had a little mental disorder? No, but anything's possible...

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

And they're all perfectly laudable. ^__^ They don't use that explanation, but I can't think of any other one for a Maxime who helps his aristo friends (who are able to come and go from France as they please because they've managed to procure American passports) smuggle other aristos out of prison--to the Perfious Albion, of course--and has an affair with the "Queen of Marienwald"... Can you? >__>

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

...where in Reason's name is the "Marienwald"?

I think I do have an explanation for it though: some novelist took the revolutionary rhetoric on SAID POLITICAL ENEMY WAS CONSPIRING WITH THE ENGLISH OMG a little too seriously? Though it's sort of hard to believe for Maxime... the English particularly hate him, maybe more than all the others.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

I haven't the slightest. I have a feeling she made it up. The point is, the last person on earth Maxime would have an affair with is a queen. Of anything.

Perhaps. >__> The thing is, these are *French* (ci-devant, though none of them seems to be aware of it) aristos... It's all very strange.

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

It sort of looks like Marineland when you squint. Is the queen a mermaid too? Coz it would make sense, as far ase it is.

...French aristos? Why on Earth would they speak to Maxime? O.o;

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

It would be amusing, but no. She is a horrible person though. >__>

According to the novel, he was their lawyer before the Revolution, and for some reason he's still friends with the bratty aristo narrator. *sighs*

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

And he... sleeps.... with.... her.

It just makes no sense. I just give up. It can't be reasoned.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

It's pretty heavily implied, although since the narrator is her brother, he's not exactly an eye-witness. But as he says, is there really likely to be any other reason for them to be having spending entire nights in her room alone? ... *headdesk*

It really can't--you'll see when I get the excerpts typed though. >__>