Follow TV Tropes

Following

You gave free speech, now look what happens

Go To

Worlder What? Since: Jan, 2001
What?
#1: Jul 6th 2011 at 8:23:26 PM

My problem here is to make things seem as grey as possible. Both sides of the conflict have something they feel is right and to extent yes their views do work out.

Basically in an slow transition to a republic with at least a two party political system, one of the first things put to action was enforcing the right to free speech.

At the time of the tragedy, the government was still lead by one party. There have efforts and debate as to how to exactly get a second party to form. But it became afterwards.

Ok now the tragedy in question is that on the day that the country was about give a speech on how they were going to let the largest of the opposition to form their own party, many government officials, civil workers, and law enforcement personnel got shot death by extreme anti-government demonstrators.

The two sides of the conflict is between the highly progressive party chairman and a small but influential group of former nobility whom even more influential when the country was a monarchy. Classic new blood, old guard conflict.

Finally the key thing about the country is that a majority portion of the country's demographics is that they are not really human in both body and mind. In terms of mind, they tend to solve more problems by hitting it or sinking teeth into it than talking over it or discussing it. As for their bodies and looks, some have horns, some have big fangs, and one group has three sets of teeth. They can also easily be roused to anger, and with the right words, violence. So you can see why loosening the chains of authoritarianism isn't exactly going so well.

But anyway how would you make the two sides of the conflict, the new party chairman and the old noble families as correct... to an fairly equal extent that is still flawed.

edited 6th Jul '11 8:25:05 PM by Worlder

deathjavu This foreboding is fa... from The internet, obviously Since: Feb, 2010
This foreboding is fa...
#2: Jul 6th 2011 at 9:25:30 PM

Make both sides equally correct? Never going to happen, for any number of reasons-

a) It never happens in real life
and, most importantly,
b) how each side is more right or wrong will depend on people's own worldviews, i.e. it's subjective.

Thusly we can see that trying to make both sides "equally right" is a waste of time.

What you can do, however, is give both sides valid viewpoints, ones that people could relate to, but are still diametrically opposed. The readers themselves will generally have a view as to which side is right or wrong, but they won't all have the same view, and it won't just be a crazy minority who takes one side over the other.

So. Make sure both sides are somewhat sympathetic, relateable, and have mostly logically consistent views. Show the benefits and consequences of each side as naturally as you can manage. The Grey and Grey will build itself out of that.

edited 6th Jul '11 9:26:28 PM by deathjavu

Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.
Worlder What? Since: Jan, 2001
What?
#3: Jul 6th 2011 at 9:34:09 PM

[up]That's what I meant to ask.

Bad wording I guess on my part.

edited 6th Jul '11 9:34:30 PM by Worlder

jewelleddragon Also known as Katz from Pasadena, CA Since: Apr, 2009
Also known as Katz
#4: Jul 7th 2011 at 1:28:32 PM

I think it's possible to portray both sides equally; look at The Battle Of Algiers.

The trick, IMO, is to humanize both sides. If one side is an institution with an agenda, they'll automatically look like the bad guys, but if both sides are people who just want [insert goal], they'll both seem reasonable.

Add Post

Total posts: 4
Top