SilvyrRain
Often, media portrays a person who has a tragic backstory as “romantic”. I’ve been coming across this quite a bit lately from watching shows (including the anime, My Hero Academia) and reading books (including a re-read of the Judy Blume book, Summer Sisters). I get that this is often a device used to create drama and to invoke emotion from the audience. Many people have a natural strong interest in tragedy and thus, often, characters with tragic backstories tend to draw interest. But is it romantic?
As a person who has a tragic backstory, I say that it is absolutely not romantic. In reality, a tragic backstory is many nights collapsing on the floor, wondering if this is the thing that will finally completely break you. It is forcing a smile on your face, trying to put on a face that looks like you’ve got everything all figured out. It is trying to look graceful while you are stumbling over each and every step you take. And, it is often battling the demons of depression while you’re trying to convince yourself that you should stay alive.
Perhaps people find this interesting, but I could do with a lot less “interesting” and a lot more “comfortable”, or heck, sometimes I’d even take “blandness”. Boring? Sounds good to me.
Would I change it? Perhaps not. After all, the cliché that a person’s past has made them who they are today is true. There are parts of me that I actually do like, after all. I’m not sure I would want to be without the fearlessness and tenacity that I have developed over time. I have often been called “resilient”. Resilience is a mixed bag. While it may be considered a good trait, it’s a label that you only get if you’ve had a drawn out tragic backstory, one that has been a bit too fleshed out.
So, no, tragic backstories are by no means romantic. I wouldn’t wish even a portion of mine on anyone else. However, for now, I will keep making my awkward steps forward, one by one. I will pick myself up when I fall (…regularly). And no matter what your stride may be, I hope you will join me and keep moving forward in life, growing along the way.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with enjoying a character with a tragic backstory. I tend to relate best to those characters myself. Let’s just make sure we don’t romanticize the tragedies.
