1. isaac223

    isaac223 Senior Member

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    Emotion Via Emotionlessness

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by isaac223, Jun 3, 2016.

    Not getting into the specifics of why I would have a character inflicted with some mental disorder that prohibits feeling and/or expression of emotion, or some other explanation, but my question is along the longs of setting a mood for the audience. If a first person narrator was describing a scene which would typically have words whose placement and usage will be apart of setting the mood and making the reader feel necessary emotions for the scene to leave a long-lasting impression on the audience, but instead describes it in an apathetic manner, in what way could one cause this monotone presentation to be a cause of emotions, not only towards the scene but some other emotion I have trouble describing at the moment towards the utter lack of emotion that should be there in such a moment?
     
  2. izzybot

    izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

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    A horrific or beautiful/joyous thing described in a very flat, bored way - if done well - is going to leave an impression on the reader.

    TV example, but I recently watched Mr Robot, and there's a scene where a character gets shot, dies, and it results in one of the mcs getting bloodstains on her shoes. She's shellshocked, while another character - who fully knows about the awful thing that went down - just looks down and goes "That's unfortunate" and offers to buy her new ones. His callousness is jarring against her stunned silence and other peoples' horror, and even though he has no reaction to the death itself, it leaves an impression. His lack of a reaction causes a reaction in the audience.

    A character being unaffected by something they should be affected by sets the mood on its own.
     
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  3. agasfer

    agasfer Member

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    What's wrong with the word "apathy"? Better than the awkward "emotionlessness" or, if you don't mind a phrase, "utterly lacking in emotion." Or use a simile, "showing as much emotion as a wet rag."
     

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