Character Appearances

The appearance of characters is a topic that recently came up while I was chatting with another Bookstagrammer regarding how characters are described in books. It's something that I've had to set aside in my mind, knowing that as a visible minority, there are much fewer stories that are told about characters who are not (as in the common parlance) normative. I'm fine with it as I certainly don't expect that authors will suddenly write about characters that look like me as an Asian, especially if they have little experience with the culture. I'd rather that no Asian characters be written into a story rather than one who is badly written, as that makes the book memorable for the wrong reasons. Because I've lived in North America my whole life, I am used to more normative characters and think very little of it when I pick up a book.

However, I have noticed that in an attempt to make characters stand out that authors will sometimes pick features that aren't as common, and use these attributes to describe their characters' appearances. In very briefly working among biologists and having a deep interest in the field of genetics, I have a generic understanding of genetic traits that tend to be dominant or recessive. This is why I chuckle when I read about so many red-headed characters, mostly since they only comprise 1-2% of the general population (with an exception for authors who do have red hair and can share all about it 😄). Add to this how many blondes and blue-eyed characters exist, and it's almost as if the 90% of the world population that has darker hair fades into the background.

While I've written an earlier post about this where I mention a few other funny descriptions that authors have included in their books, the original context for this conversation was in the emphasis that authors place on physical attributes when describing a romance. One thing I am grateful for with Christian fiction is that relationships are usually built on a stronger foundation than only looks. Though some books venture into a lot of descriptions on beauty or attractiveness, there are often other elements at play. What I've noticed with more secular books is that they are prone to amplify physical appearances, sometimes to the point where this is the main takeaway from the book.

This has had me wondering how people feel when reading about characters that are either:

1. Fairly unrealistic, to the point where, sure, in a fantasy, you could have someone who is both extremely thin and extremely curvy, or extremely built up but you would somehow never know it, or
2. Depicting such a small segment of the population like red hair, green eyes, etc. that it's hard to relate to them

I've also wondered whether reading books that are inclined to promote limited body types affects how readers feel, especially if they might look differently. I know there's a whole subgenre that elevates curvy body types; however, what would it look like for what passes as normative to be expanded to naturally include other types and categories just because it reflects real life? What if characters could be described realistically within novels without having to brand that book as plus-size and potentially a separate genre, so to speak? What if men could have "dad bods" and women could have a larger physique, notably if they've had to go through the life-changing and body-altering experiences of pregnancy and childbirth? What if characters' appearances were left more up to interpretation without going into words that could potentially cause shame or guilt?

These questions are only meant as prompts as I understand that not everyone feels the same way about physical descriptions in books. It is nice to know that characters are attracted to each other and have chemistry. Yet, at other times, it can get in the way of the plot. I don't read books that fall into this trap as much anymore, but there is still the risk that however characters are described, readers may potentially feel alienated or distanced as a result of the characters' appearances. However characters are described, my hope is that they are still relatable in terms of their actions and words. But, if there's a way to recognize the differences that exists within readers, perhaps more characters will reflect that beauty and come in all shapes, sizes, colours, and more. That would make the story much more engaging for me, and I hope, for others as well. I know that looks aren't everything, but they are something, and they can be more diverse.