Literature Lessons: Revenge

Revenge is sweet so they say, but I think that's because they've forgotten what bitter tastes like. The main conflict in Island Whispers is about revenge; a retribution, a reckoning, whatever you want to call it, it's about a belief that the scale needs to be balanced for a wrong that has been done.

In the first few pages, the reader is introduced to The Elder. He is bent on a warpath from the ground to the sky. The first angel, merperson, demon and vampire took something from him and he wants his justice.

When it comes to revenge, we need to focus on loss. Because the person seeking revenge has lost something or perceives something as lost. They have nurtured some hurt and decided to turn it outside themselves to someone or something else. This is critical because there is some justification for their actions. They believe that they have just cause and this righteousness often makes them formidable villains.

Now, The Elder hasn't just lost some trinket; this isn't a petty squabble over honor or reputation. He has a huge hole in his heart because he is the last of his kind. There are no other syrans in the world. He has lost friends. He has lost family. He is all alone.

Do you begin to see the pull of revenge?

When those one loves are lost, is it any wonder that many turn down a dark path?
They have no one to steer them right.

He is in pain, thus he wants others to feel pain. Simply put, it's an eye for an eye philosophy. But, that doesn't make it right. The difficult thing is to forgive. It is far more difficult to accept what has happened and continue living. Dark emotions breed darkness in our hearts. Quite literally in The Elder's case as the dark spirits are manifestations of darkness that leave pain and suffering in their wake.

Throughout the novel, The Elder has two goals: (1) resurrect the syrans, (2) wreck havoc on the communities of demons, angels, vampires and merpeople. He doesn't just want to cause pain. He wants to reestablish the order that was lost thousands of years ago. But what happens when you bring a race of super beings back from the dead? Would they be able to adjust to life as it is or would they try to change everything around them? That's a discussion topic for another time, but keep it in your thoughts, I'd love to hear your ideas.