So, I'm writing a fiction novel about a zombie apocalypse that is character driven more than the environment (themes are religious, mental health, and coming of age). I have an antagonist, but there's an issue: his motive is weak. He is the reason for the catastrophe that set my protagonist on a journey (long story short, he got a lot of people killed on purpose and my protagonist was partially to blame). I switched from writing first person from my MCs perspective to give the reader a little backstory on my villain. Basically, he was raised, at least partially, by a maniacal barber who was actually a serial killer. This occurred before the infection broke out. The barber killed people who screwed people over, and he told the antagonist (as a boy) that "the ends justify the means" as in, it doesn't matter how you get to where you're going, just that you get there. So, now my antagonist has a pure consequentialist mindset, where his sociopathical thoughts are justified. Is it a strong enough argument to suggest my antagonist's views are enough to drive him to perform mass killings? Should I do something to strengthen his maniacal tendencies? I very much appreciate any comments.
I think it would be how you show his pathological thoughts to be, as you said, justified. His 'Sweeney Todd' guardian you describe as having a mission of retribution—so his 'end' was setting records straight (the foundation is laid there there for your villain's path at least). In that respect, I figure you need further it by having your antagonist, at some point, severely wronged by society/humanity in the round. Some incident and hatred engendering isolation I'd say, added to with a personal flaw (be it mental/physical) that precludes any chance ever of acceptance. Archetypal, yes—your skill would be in using your writing to spin it in an engaging way. Another tack I've seen—the antag. wishes to please someone or is under their duress—a bit of a cop out as it kicks the motivation issue/can down the road.
I feel like, no matter how bad the antagonist's actions are, they are justified if they feel it's okay/right. So, if the antagonists feels like what he/she is doing is for the greater good (even if that greater good is strictly their own) then I'd buy the motivation. In fact, I know some people like that. No empathy means no remorse.
A lot of bad guys are OCD. I'm not sure if that's what drives them but it makes the character identifiable by his flaw. You could develop him as criminally insane, with a lack of empathy, then the driving force to make him the antagonist would be a mission to harm or kill your MC or a loved one. Giving your MC hero characteristics would dictate his level of bad. In other words he has to at some point be stopped or conquered and your wounded and beat up hero has to be able to pull it off.
With what you've described, I'd zero in on what the specific 'end' is that your antagonist wants. Is he continuing his mentor's avenger tendencies, or has he taken the ends justify the means mindset he learned and applied it toward achieving another goal?
Ha! I never even thought of Sweeney Todd when I made that part, but I guess I could either change it or pay homage! And you're right. I should definitely bring out that my antag was wronged by society. He grew up in different foster homes and never formed attachments. Maybe he had to fight for food at a very young age. Maybe he secretly killed his last foster family because of multiple forms of abuse and no one found out. The possibilities are endless! I really appreciate your comment!
You're absolutely correct, and I appreciate your comment. I could be looking too far into it. The reason I bring this up is because I just got done reading a book by one of my favorite authors, and I came away very disappointed because of the numerous plot holes that could've been filled with some interesting tidbits. I just didn't want there to be this massive plot hole (like my sociopathic antagonist that kills to meet an end) in my novel that people wouldn't believe.
Yes! His mission is (secretly) to kill my MC when they meet up again at a different colony because my MC knows who he really is, and he's going to be afraid she'll spill the beans. I have a climax where my hero is very much beat up and she has to take down an infected version of my antagonist. I'm looking forward to writing it! Thanks for your comment!
Well, initially, what set my MC on her mission to find safety with her family was that the antagonist led her into an area to scavenge for supplies that was riddled with infected. He wanted to "thin the heard" so the colony had less numbers, thus more food and resources to go around. While everyone is grieving over the losses of loved ones, the antagonist is relishing in the fact that there are less mouths to feed and doesn't understand why people are so upset. He gets kicked out along with my MC (they weren't killed because nothing could be proven) That motive seemed to work in the first quarter of my book or so, but I need him to ruin it again for my MC and hundreds of people at the end, just before the climax and I can't figure out a motive. Long story short, my MC and antagonist are taken in by another colony and eventually will be riding buses 90 miles from Milwaukee to Madison WI where planes are transporting survivors out west. I need a motive for my antagonist to throw a monkey wrench in these plans other than, "he's just a sociopath and likes when people die." That's as simple as I can explain it! I really appreciate your response!
Have you thought of watching Dexter? It may help a bit with your antagonist's issue. Dexter is a psychopath but is pretty stable for the most part. His father and a psychologist brainwashed him into killing only those who fit a certain profile: those who had committed unforgivable crimes. Like your antagonist's father figure who kills only those who have done wrong to others. It would be easier to nuance you antagonist then rather than having a dark, deeply horrific childhood with no personal attachments. Dexter still loves his sister, would do anything for her, but he's still a psychopath. It looks, to me at least, that you couldn't decide on whether you wanted it to be a mental illness that drives him or characteristics brought on by circumstance. Personally I'd advise you to stay on a simpler road. Think Dexter meets Ultron. Ultron aspect being his conclusion that humans are the problem, not the solution to the problem.
The consequential mindset alone maybe doesn't make a person so brutal to perform mass killings. But if you showed that he sees human beings being only bags of flesh, easily cut this way and that, both physically and emotionally, that might make his extreme actions more believable. Some wound from the past coming from society, the government, might help fuel his desire for mass killings. Seeing as how barbers have a variety of tools that they keep within easy reach, the antagonist maybe developed a fascination with the inventive ways his father dispatched his victims. This inventiveness manifests in the antagonist as he attempts new "means" of execution at a larger scale. Just ideas, that popped into my head. Some great responses so far from others too. I love serial killer barber dad aspect - you could do so many things with that!
