Race and character relationships

[Seraphim]

How has race affected the relationship, whether platonic or romantic, between characters in stories you have read or in your own stories? How a character feels about another character is certainly a spectrum of possibilities that is affected by several factors, but how race, whether different in ethnic background or species, affected the characters.

For example, the relationship between Legolas and Gimli in LOTR started negatively because of their different races. Though their races were mostly civil politically, there was no shortness of foul word and leering between the elf and dwarf to start, and after forming the Fellowship of the Ring, the two characters still held each other in contempt. As time passed, the two developed a rivalry that start because of the necessity for one to prove that their race was better than the other, but eventually developed into a competition between friends, yet this relationship in of itself did not affect the overall relations between elves and dwarves directly, but certainly had an affect on the reader.

 

[Ireth]

I have a few stories with interracial interaction and conflict ("race" here being of the elf/man/dwarf type, not ethnicity).

In WINTER'S QUEEN, there is a lot of conflict between Fae and humans. The villain, a Fae prince, sees humans as beneath him unless he can use them to further his ambitions (like how he kidnaps the human MC in order to marry her and usurp his father's throne). This is fairly typical of most Fae, especially the Winter Court to which the villain belongs. Exceptions exist, though: the MC befriends a few of the Winter Court Fae, including the villain's sister, and they ultimately help her escape him. (Though the villain's sister was also acting out of a desire for revenge on her brother, not simple altruism.)

In LOW ROAD, there is conflict between humans and vampires. Some vampires want to retain what humanity they have left and avoid drinking from humans, while others (like the villain) just don't give a sh!t and eat whomever they like (except other vamps). The villain runs a city populated by vampires, who keep humans penned in cages as a food supply.

In DANCING ON EDGES, there is a different conflict between humans and vampires. Here they have equal footing, but are segregated, with racism and hatred running deep on both sides. A notable character is Stephen, the only dhampir (human/vampire hybrid) known to exist. His parents had a sort of Romeo-and-Juliet type thing going on, only instead of double suicide they were killed by the town officials once word got out about their relationship (and their son). Stephen is hated by both humans and vampires alike, except the human MC who befriends him and wants to help him.

In TENTH REALM, there's a lot of complicated stuff between at least four races -- humans, Fae, light-elves and dark-elves. The humans and Fae start out as enemies, but they end up banding together (albeit reluctantly) when the dark-elves are sent into the realm of Faerie by the villain (herself a light-elf/dark-elf hybrid). This also necessitates a truce between the two Courts, Summer and Winter, who are usually on fairly bad terms.

A handful of light-elves, who had been hunting the dark-elves, side with the humans and Fae as well. The dark-elves are not evil, per se, but they are enemies of the light-elves (except for a small band who get tired of the villain and defect to the human/Fae/light-elf side). The villain's half-brother is a light-elf, and he is evil, perfectly willing to fight and kill members of his own race.

In BELLRINGER, there's conflict between humans and werewolves, and between different sects of werewolves who follow different religions. Most humans hate and fear werewolves, and many werewolves are resentful of humans. Werewolves who worship Hecate believe they are the superior people, born of wolves and bred to overwhelm humanity. Those who worship Luna believe they are blessed, but under no command or obligation to transform others. A few have even been working on a cure for the condition, since a number of werewolves (including the MC) see it as a curse. Humans in the Church mainly see werewolves as demons to be avoided like the plague or killed on sight.

 

[Tom]

Well, part of my inspiration for writing Southerner was my fascination with multiculturalism and racial relations. So there's a lot of that.

For instance, there are two main ethnic groups on the island which it's set on: natives and non-natives. The natives are further divided into two main cultures, the Yianlai and Kirithians. Even though they share a common ancestry, they are somewhat antagonistic towards each other. Yianlai still follows the old gods, while Kirithians have "discovered" a new religion and declared that anyone who doesn't follow it is an apostate. This might be more religious conflict than racial, but it also has roots in the fact that the Kirithians intermarried with a now-extinct "higher" culture and therefore consider themselves (and their religion) more civilized than the Yianlai.

The non-native culture, the Barlanders, were once invaders seeking a new home. While their religion does have a "conquer and convert" mandate, they were mostly motivated by famine that threatened to wipe them out. Though initially they succeeded in conquering the native cultures, Yianlai and Kirithia soon rose up against them and subjugated them. The Barlanders now live in exile in the northernmost territories of Kirithia, overseen by Kirithian overlords, or as slaves in their cities. Some of them strive to adopt native ways so they can better their positions, but most outright hate the natives.

A lot happens in Southerner involving this stuff. My MC, Tomrin, is Yianlai, and at first is prejudiced against Miekkhal, a Barlandic character. Eventually he comes to sympathize with the Barlanders. Aeyu, a Kirithian girl, initially believes that her culture is superior to both Tomrin and Miekkhal's, yet as the story goes on she repeatedly sees Kirithians perpetuating unjust acts against others. She comes to realize that no culture is perfect, that cultures besides her own are just as valid.

 

[skip.knox]

My WIP doesn't have races, but it does have Romans and barbarians and magicians, so I explore that a bit.

Further down the road, though, my world has the full catalog of fantasy creatures, and I've spent quite a bit of time exploring the politics, economics, social structure and cultural values of each. I do want to look into how personal relationships might develop (I've already done an ogre and a sprite team-up), how family values might play out, where belief systems might grate against each other.

I love fantasy for about a hundred reasons, but this multi-cultural one is near the top of the list because it is *not* anchored in our world. I can explore "race" relations that are not anchored (and weighed down) by color and ethnicity. Gender is still a challenge, but even there one can roam more widely. One can posit more than two sexes, but more interestingly (to me) one can wonder if the differences are greater between (say) a male elf and a female elf, or between a female elf and a female dwarf. What if a half-breed (where that's possible) is also illegitimate, and the two peoples have different takes on bastardy? What if a male gnome goes looking for a same sex partner outside his own people? The possibilities are endless. Much richer than mere modern human stories.

 

[Miskatonic]

You have to be careful or you'll come off as trying to preach political views.

 

[K.S. Crooks]

I have made a point in my current WIP series that ethnicity exists, yet is not thought much of since humans also live amongst other species such as centaurs, elves, and other beings of my own creation. In my latest book there is a growing love between one of my human main characters and a non-human from another country. I find fun in having one character learn things about other that either dismisses or reinforces stereotype; or describe things about themselves or their people that they feel is important to offer at a particular moment. The idea of if you had to describe your family to another or describe humans to an alien. What would you say, what would you leave out?

 

[WooHooMan]

I have made a point in my current WIP series that ethnicity exists, yet is not thought much of since humans also live amongst other species such as centaurs, elves, and other beings of my own creation.

I'm doing this and I find that that makes it difficult to talk about "race". I certainly can't sum it up in a thread post.

In my latest book there is a growing love between one of my human main characters and a non-human from another country. I find fun in having one character learn things about other that either dismisses or reinforces stereotype; or describe things about themselves or their people that they feel is important to offer at a particular moment.

I kind of have this too, really.
The tricky part is that one of the characters doesn't have courtship, marriage or parenthood in their culture. They also don't have much of a concept of male and female. Or individualism. Or the future.
So, as you can guess, their concept of social-ness is different.

It's like Skip.knox said. Exploring people who are totally unlike anything in our world is part of the fun of fantasy.

 

[indonesiancat]

When it comes to relation between humans and non-humans, they are more or less completely inconsolvable. The non-human humanoids in my world are limited to humanoid beasts hulking about, like trolls or ogres who more or less function on survival instincts rather than being conscious and aware.

The exception being giants, they are very few, but their relation depend largely on how they get to interract with the culture they inhabit.

When it comes to relations between humans, they aren't based on the color of the skin, they relate more to the current power struggles between nations. So while alot of lucians hate northmen and have all types off ethnic slurs for them, this basically goes for everyone who has ever been in a conflict with someone else.

Lucians of higher hiearchy are arguably the most arrogant of all people looking down on anyone who don't measure up to them, but paradoxily, lucian society is the only multiethnic society that provide equal right for every citizen. Just because you were born in a different nation, doesn't mean you won't find your place as a succesful general.

Northmen only respect strength. Having an ancient bloodline won't stop your skull from shattering once an axe has been slammed into it. Therefore, any man of any race can find his place in the north as a bondsman or trader, as long as he proves his worth in combat. Which potentially could lead to any man leading a northern tribe as well. However, this requires that you defeat the strongest warrior of the clan or the tribe and that is simply something very few outside of commanding officers and warveterans from the south can manage. Despite thinking that alot of men from foreign cultures are vain, cowardly and weak, they are also explorers and traders who roam the sea. And as such have to develop a bond with other people, even if they don't understand customs.

Meanwhile most other people follow ancient bloodlines that allow for their nobles to treat everyone else, whether commoner, foreignborn or slave as poorly as they wish.