how to make a pathetic doormat of a character likeable ?? before character growth. i personally am fine with most of these characters but ive heard others say they find them annoying
Making a Doormat Character Likable
Doormat characters let other people "walk all over them" all the time, and this passivity can make it hard for readers to like them. We just want them to stand up for themselves--for goodness sake!--but time after time, they sit and roll over, stay quiet, never stick up for themselves, and never say 'no'. And the crazy thing is, all of the virtues that make them this way are usually inherently good. Doormat characters are usually passive out of a desire to not disappoint anyone. They have no backbone purely because they're afraid that challenging someone will result in making them unhappy, and the last thing they want to do is "make waves."
So, how do you make a character like this happy while they're on their way to "growing a backbone" through character growth?
1) Let Them "Pet the Dog" or "Save the Cat" Early On
Most writers have heard of the "Save the Cat" method of story structure, but you may not realize that "saving the cat" refers to giving your character a small redemptive act early in the story. It doesn't really have to be petting a dog or cat, obviously. It just has to be something that lets the reader see their soft side for a moment. For example, if your story starts off with a tough and gritty protagonist yelling at their cowering underlings, that's pretty instantly unlikable. But if they stop and visit their elderly grandparent on the way home from work, and are kind and gentle with them, that makes the reader see they're not all that bad. It works the same way with a passive character because it still balances "like" against the "dislike" of their passivity. And, you could even show them being kind to themselves--treating themselves to something nice or doing something they really enjoy--when there's no one else around to please.
2) Create Sympathy and Relatability
If you can make your reader sympathize with the character--and even better, relate to them or their circumstances--it creates an emotional connection between the reader and the character, which goes a long way in balancing out the like and dislike. Think about who this character is, what they've been through, and why they've become so passive--why it's so important to them to please everyone. Then, look for ways to illustrate this in back story, thoughts, action, and dialogue.
3) Craft Unique and Clever "Doormat Moments"
When your character's "doormat moments" are predictable, clichéd, and heartbreaking, not only can your reader not enjoy those moments, they develop an aversion to them. They dread every potential "doormat moment" as soon as they see it coming. But if you make most of your character's "doormat moments" unexpected, unique, and lighthearted--your reader can actually enjoy them. So, heartbreaking and predictable: they're misinformed by a bully co-worker and end up wearing a cheesy costume to a fancy and important business dinner, not only embarrassing themselves but their boss and whole company, and potentially risking the loss of an important client. Lighthearted and unexpected: they're misinformed by a bully co-worker and end up wearing a cheesy costume to the birthday party of their boss's six year old--and the kids and other parents absolutely love it, even if their boss is embarrassed and annoyed.
4) Show Them Learning and Growing
Part of doing character growth successfully is making sure they are or become aware of their shortcomings and that they want to do better. For a doormat character, growth means slowly learning not to be a doormat--learning to say 'no', learning to speak their mind, and learning to stand up for themselves. This is going to require a little provocation... a little forcing of the hand. Maybe they don't want to say 'no' in a certain scenario, but saying 'yes' would result in greater unhappiness to others. And even though they're ultimately saying 'yes' to one thing by saying 'no' to something else, they still get a little taste of the power of saying 'no'--and realizing it doesn't result in the catastrophe they expected. In much the same way, you can balance out a passive behavior with a much less significant behavior that's not so passive. Like, maybe they say 'yes' to the boss who wants them to stay five hours late to finish the filing, but maybe a jerky co-worker left a stack of papers on their desk along with a "please finish these for me" note, and the passive character says, "Nope!" And promptly dumps them in the trash.
5) Make Them Likeable by Comparison
When your character is surrounded by characters who are even more unlikable than they are, it shifts some of the reader's dislike away from the main unlikable character. The character may be unlikable for having no backbone and constantly sacrificing their own wants and needs to please others, but who's more unlikable... that character, or the characters who walk all over them, bully them, and constantly mistreat them?
I hope that helps! Have fun with your story! :)
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