#nyoop

This isn’t something that is an Erin Hunter thing only, to be fair. It’s so very easy to look at a trait and brush it off as a negative aspect of a character. Recently, I got into a discussion with a friend over competitiveness as a trait for a character.

He was adamant that competitiveness is inherently a bad thing. That being competitive means you’re pushy, make everything into a game that has to be won. I said otherwise - there are many people who enjoy competing in games and sports, who don’t make everything into a competition. Being competitive can mean you enjoy winning, or that you enjoy competing against others. It can be a show of strength or the thrill of going up against others.

And then you have over-competitiveness, when a trait turns sour and negative. Those people who make every little thing into a competition.

While that seems like a deviation from discussion, it goes back into something I often consider while writing - traits are often not inherently negative. There are some, sure, that characterize either a protagonist or an antagonist, but it all depends on how the character (or, how you write the character) uses them.

Ambition is the biggest trait that Erin Hunter uses to deem a character as bad, or to give them some sort of flaw in their character. You have Brambleclaw, who is often punished or gets the side-eye for his ambition to become deputy, who is often said to be dangerous because of his ambition.

When in reality, it’s just because he’s very stupid to trust Tigerstar and Hawkfrost despite all the bright neon warning signs saying that it might be a bad idea.

Bluestar is a tragic cat because her ambitiousness caused her to give up her children (though, the narrative pushes us to the idea that it wasn’t her choice). Crookedstar’s ambitious nature caused him to make an agreement with a cat from hell that ended up killing his entire family. Hollyleaf once had the spark in her eye to take Brambleclaw’s place - that didn’t turn out pretty in the end.

Even the original series’ main characters showed this line of thinking. Tigerstar is dangerous and his ambition pushes him to terrible things. While Fireheart is a fantastic, lovable, wonderful deputy who never wanted the position in the first place. And frankly, this is fine - it makes for a nice, sharp contrast. However, having this theme repeated again and again and again just makes me wonder if she really thinks cats who are ambitious are just undeserving because they want something.

In fact, that seems to be a huge part of it. Cinderpelt wants to become a warrior, Leafpool wants to become the best medicine cat she can be, Hollyleaf wants to become leader one day, Jayfeather wants to become a warrior, Brightheart wants an apprentice, Alderheart wants to become a warrior.

I threw in Leafpool only because the Erins seemed so bent on her not being able to enjoy her life as a medicine cat for a bit there.

The general theme here seems to be “stop wanting and do as fate tells you”, to which I say, screw fate. Give us a character who fights tooth and nail every step of the way to screw fate and those who are in charge of fate every step of the way. We saw a glimpse of that in Jayfeather, now give us an ultra rebellious character who cares nothing for what any higher being says. We’ve already seen that the spirits of the stars are basically winging it, I want to see a character spit in their faces and cartwheel away to do whatever they want.

In short, traits are often inherently negative, especially ambition, and we need more characters who want something and fight every step of the way to get it.

I’ll fool myself she’ll walk right in

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