In movies and TV shows, we can see what two characters are like when they're together. It doesn't matter if they're siblings, friends, a romantic couple, or enemies. Their interactions are on the screen. They have dialogue and body language. We have a lot of information to help us figure out what their relationship is like.
Relationships can be more difficult to convey in novels because we don't have all of those visual clues. The small details are in words, like the rest of the story, instead of in facial expressions and tone of voice. And yet, in the Dresden Files series, author Jim Butcher gives us a clear understanding of relationships between characters.
For example, take Harry Dresden and his brother Thomas. Going by the conversations Harry and Thomas have and the insight we gain from Harry's point of view, we have a pretty good understanding of their relationship. But we gain an even better understanding during scenes when Thomas and Harry face a threat together. That's when we see the high level of trust between Harry and Thomas.
I noticed this in White Night's fight scenes, but there are probably examples in earlier books too. Harry yells at Thomas to duck out of the way, and Thomas immediately drops to the ground. No hesitation and no doubt. Vice versa, Harry follows whatever instruction Thomas gives him. Communicating like that during dangerous situations works only with immediate responses, and immediate responses require a high level of trust. Otherwise, a delay on either Thomas's or Harry's part could mean death for one or both of them.
The way those moments are written, it feels natural that Harry and Thomas would trust each other like that, to the point that I didn't realize their high level of trust until I read past those scenes.
Part of the reason for the delayed realization is that we don't have visual cues. If I were watching that fight scene on a screen, I would have seen how quickly one man responded to the other, and it would have been obvious that they are used to fighting together and trust each other. But reading the scene in a book, we have to meet the author halfway. He gives us the details and we have to make connections to figure out what's happening.
Relationships can be more difficult to convey in novels because we don't have all of those visual clues. The small details are in words, like the rest of the story, instead of in facial expressions and tone of voice. And yet, in the Dresden Files series, author Jim Butcher gives us a clear understanding of relationships between characters.
For example, take Harry Dresden and his brother Thomas. Going by the conversations Harry and Thomas have and the insight we gain from Harry's point of view, we have a pretty good understanding of their relationship. But we gain an even better understanding during scenes when Thomas and Harry face a threat together. That's when we see the high level of trust between Harry and Thomas.
I noticed this in White Night's fight scenes, but there are probably examples in earlier books too. Harry yells at Thomas to duck out of the way, and Thomas immediately drops to the ground. No hesitation and no doubt. Vice versa, Harry follows whatever instruction Thomas gives him. Communicating like that during dangerous situations works only with immediate responses, and immediate responses require a high level of trust. Otherwise, a delay on either Thomas's or Harry's part could mean death for one or both of them.
The way those moments are written, it feels natural that Harry and Thomas would trust each other like that, to the point that I didn't realize their high level of trust until I read past those scenes.
Part of the reason for the delayed realization is that we don't have visual cues. If I were watching that fight scene on a screen, I would have seen how quickly one man responded to the other, and it would have been obvious that they are used to fighting together and trust each other. But reading the scene in a book, we have to meet the author halfway. He gives us the details and we have to make connections to figure out what's happening.
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