I'm a fan of stories told from multiple viewpoints.
(Note: To clarify, I do not enjoy omniscient POV. When I say multiple viewpoints, I'm referring to novels where there is a clear shift in POV, ie: at the beginning of a new chapter or scene. Head-hopping causes me to throw the book across the room.)
For me, a central conflict is infinitely more interesting when I'm able to sympathize, or at least understand, different characters' interpretations of the situation. In the end, there are very few truths in life. Perceptions, ideologies, right verses wrong: all are highly subjective and relative notions.
I was thinking this morning about it while watching Good Morning America. The show highlighted yet another side to what's becoming the multi-faceted story of "modern folk hero" Steven Slater. He is the Jet Blue flight attendant who lost his cool on August 9th, cussed out the entire plane of passengers, grabbed his carry-on luggage and a couple brew-skis, deployed the inflatable emergency exit slide, and used it to deplane.
The original story, told from Slater's POV, alleged that upon arriving and taxiing to the gate, a passenger stood and opened the overhead luggage bin before the fasten seatbelt light was turned off. According to Slater, the passenger argued with him and her luggage fell from the bin, striking him on the forehead. He snapped, fed up with a career of dealing with rude, unruly passengers, and acted out the climactic scene of his original production "Take This Job and Shove It."
Today, Good Morning America interviewed a passenger from that flight, who told a different story. As the GMA website recapped, "Witnesses have also told police that it was Slater who was rude to passengers, and the cut on his forehead came at the beginning of the flight, not during an altercation with a surly passenger after the plane landed, as Slater has claimed."
What's fascinating about this story is the incident took place within the tight confines of an airplane, yet it's very difficult to sort out what really happened. How could one person claim the suitcase conked Slater on the head, and others claim it didn't happen?
And around the globe, news audiences are interpreting this unfolding story according to their own past experiences and personal codes of ethics. Flight attendants have been quoted as applauding Slater's actions, understanding how much they have to put up with in their service-oriented careers. Others feel dealing with rude customers is part of the job and those in service industries have to handle themselves with professionalism, at all costs. Whether Slater is a hero or a villain is becoming a lively debate.
In fiction, we should remember that no conflict exists in black and white. Life is like that: complicated, subjective, and messy. By allowing the reading into the minds and hearts of different characters, we explore the shades of gray in every incident. In turn, the emotional impact on the reader will elevate, and the story with ring true with authenticity.
So what do you think? Is Steven Slater the hero or the villain of his story?
28 comments:
I don't really think he's either. I don't applaud his actions, because I also believe in consummate professionalism, but I certainly understand how one can be driven to that.
If it had just been the yelling, that's one thing, but add on the plane exit (and stealing the beers), and it starts to become a bit childish and melodramatic.
I'm with you, though--I don't connect well to stories with multiple POVs.
I guess we don't know for sure at this time if he was the hero or villain. As you say, it's point of view. I'm glad I don't have to solve crimes because of how a crowd all remembers an event differently.
It's the unreliable narrator!
Perhaps I was mistaken but I thought you said you did like multiple view points, just not jumbled together. I write both multiple and singe depending on the story.
As for the real life character of this post, he isn't a hero. Hero's are long on suffering and rise to the occasion, at best he is a secondary character with his 10 minutes of fame, a little drawn out.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
Multiple POVs (NOT head-hopping) add depth and breadth to a story. IMO, they make for more interesting reading and writing.
I spent quite a few years in customer service, so I empathize with Slater, but I don't see him as a hero. It takes more courage to remain calm and professional in volatile situations than to lose control. Moreover, the outburst achieved nothing. We already know there are rude people in the world. There will continue to be rude people. What I see in Slater isn't a villain, but a man, possibly a well-intentioned man, who made a very poor career choice. He wasn't cut out for customer service.
I love this post in how it reinforces the point that no matter the POV, people will perceive the events in a way that relates to their own common experience.
I also like multiple viewpoints in writing for this reason. Not only do we keep our own views but we can see how it relates to each character and thus, motivates them in different ways.
I hate head hopping. I'm beta reading a MG novel in which there is tons of head hopping. Hmmm. Why didn't her crit group point this out.
So far I've only written from one pov per book, but I'm thinking of doing a book (one day) with multiple povs. I love those books. :D
I also dislike head hopping, but I find it takes longer to warm up to a book with multiple POV than a single one.
As for the FA who lost his cool. It makes for a funny story, but it's still unprofessional and illegal... something we should avoid applauding, even if we've secretly imagined doing similar things ourselves. What would the world be like if we all lived out our revenge imaginations?
Definitely a fan of multiple voices (but not the ones in MY head). Jodi Piccoult is quite good at managing this style, and until she got so socio-political in her novels, I was her number one fan.
Well, I am doing the POV right for you in my story, at least. I use differing POV's (not omniscient!) for each chapter.
What I would think about Mr. Slater depends on what truly happened. I do believe there is an honest breaking point and it can be legit, though I think this reaction sounds a bit overboard.
I like the way you used the Slater story to make the point!
Yeah, life is messy.
As far as Slater goes, like Ted, I do think there's a breaking point. But so many people are looking for attention, reality-show-style, I wonder. I need more facts.
I'm not a big fan of head hopping either, though it took me a while not to do it in my own writing, I don't know how I feel about Slater. I think I'm only neutral.
hi miss nicole! are you gonna put a new picture up with your new hair cut? :) im just learning about that pov stuff so i need to know more so i can say if i like it or dont like it. i saw that airplane guy on tv. i dont think i could want to be a hero for doing something bad so for me hes not a hero.
...smiles from lenny
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't...
Now to Mr. Slater. I'm not sure which one he is, but you have to admit that he made a grand exit from the plane!
I love multiple viewpoints when written well. Jodi Picoult rocks at writing this way!
Hard for me to say, since there are so many POVs. In fiction or "real" life, appearance isn't always the reality.
Ann
There's always three sides to every story. My version...your version...and what really happened.
Becoming fed up with your job, your lot in life, is one thing. But the drama he displayed doesn't earn any points with me. Now I even hear he wants his job back. LOL
I too prefer books with multiple POV's (which is good because that's how I write). I get bored listening to just one narrator for 300+ pages.
I don't know about that story, but you're right about interpretation and point of view. Sometimes, though, I like a single point of view because the narrator can be unreliable. Then, later, you find out the narrator's been lying. Great stuff!
I love shifting povs. My first novel was writtne that way initially, changed and I just spent three days changing it back. A good reminder to follow your instincts THE FIRST TIME.
It is always funny how many stories there are in any given incident. How do we ever really sort it out?
Neat post and discussion. I don't have an opinion on the flight attendant. But I love different PoV. The more characters added to a plot (as long as they are developed) the better for me.
His illegal plane exit negates it for me.
I asbolutely love multiple viewpoints in a story, which is why I write that. It allows readers more than just a glimpse into the minds of the distinctive characters, and what you had to say on the subject furthers it very well. :]
Slater's by no means a villain, which to me is an exaggeration. But I agree that in a service-oriented career (like my job in retail), you must be able to keep calm and professional.
Slater's a baby is what he is.
Slater is neither hero or villain, just someone in the wrong job who lost the plot.
I agree with you 100% about changing POV, the same event will look very different from differing perspectives.
I used to like books as a teen (romances mostly) that told the story from her perspective, then you flipped it over and got the same story from his perspective. Would probably drive me crazy now, but I read a lot of them once upon a time.
I like Al's take on it - someone in the wrong job who lost the plot! It does seem rather melo-dramatic to me. I too dislike head-hopping in novels, much better it being clear who is speaking. And I am not sure if I said thank you before for putting 'Ginger's Contest' pic on your blog, but if I didn't a big THANK YOU! Have made sure that extra entry goes in for you. :)
I think several people said it best, but Al did seem to nail the point home "someone in the wrong job who lost the plot", He wasn't the vero or the villian.
Reminder - Guess that Character Blogfest is this Thursday and Friday! Look forward to describing your character!
Ah, POV changes everything, doesn't it? It's funny, we notice the "he said, she said" going on in controversial news stories such as this, but we don't always realize that in fiction, the same thing is happening. We're usually only getting one person's side of the story, sometimes two.
Hi Nicole! You have a special award at my blog today.
It's always fun to play around with POVs when telling a story. One thing that I always remember is that the antagonist doesn't have to be evil. He only has to have a goal that is in direct conflict with the goal of the protagonist. Then their different viewpoints bring a level of depth to the story that wouldn't be there otherwise.
I think this Slater guy is a jerk. No matter what happened on the plane it was his job to remain until every passenger was off safely, not leave in a flash of drama so that the other flight attendants have to pick up the pieces. He didn't do his job or act like a team player or a hospitable person. That's gross negligence. And if he didn't like that job then he should have quit years ago instead of blowing up like that on the aircraft.
If I'm on a plane I want to know that all the flight attendants are reliable people who won't lose their cool or their ability to take care of the passengers. This guy didn't do his job or his duty and that's a safety threat.
Jai
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