Character Development Formula

[Benjamin Clayborne]

It's much, much, much, much deeper than that.

The process of change - how it's executed - in both those stories, is the same.

So much so that both those stories are a change process with simply different archetypes laid on top.

Understanding that is very useful and helpful.

Even the archetypes don't change very much. In both those stories, there is a young boy who grows up.

Saying that both those movies are the same and trying to figure out how that may be is one of the top five useful things in the writing discipline. Perhaps the number one.

Michael Corleone doesn't want to get involved in his family's business. But when his father dies and the family is in peril, he can't resist and is sucked in, giving in to the urge for revenge.

Ted Stroehmann is selfish and lacks confidence. He tries to be someone he's not in order to win over Mary, but when that doesn't work, he realizes that it's self-sacrifice and compassion that will get him what he wants.

I just don't see how those are "the same." Maybe you could give a point-by-point explanation. Just saying "they're the same" doesn't really explain how they're the same. What are the parallels between Michael Corleone and Ted Stroehmann?

 

[grahamguitarman]

Michael Corleone doesn't want to get involved in his family's business. But when his father dies and the family is in peril, he can't resist and is sucked in, giving in to the urge for revenge.

Ted Stroehmann is selfish and lacks confidence. He tries to be someone he's not in order to win over Mary, but when that doesn't work, he realizes that it's self-sacrifice and compassion that will get him what he wants.

I just don't see how those are "the same." Maybe you could give a point-by-point explanation. Just saying "they're the same" doesn't really explain how they're the same. What are the parallels between Michael Corleone and Ted Stroehmann?

Couldn't agree more, every story has some kind of change, but there are many kinds of change to choose from