# Protagonist vS. self?



## colorsoundkid (Oct 19, 2008)

I've got a screenplay I'm working on and the protagonist is fighting self-destructive behaviors, as well as others who are self-destructive in his circle of friends. 

Any advice on how to manage a "showdown" with this kind of situation? Is it simply a matter of pitting him against temptation? Should it be coupled with another from his circle of friends in order to create a metaphorical battle against his inclination to take risks and abuse drugs? 

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated. Also, any examples you can think of from other movies that have used similar protagonist/antagonist plot-lines would be appreciated.


----------



## Linton Robinson (Oct 19, 2008)

Fight club


----------



## colorsoundkid (Oct 19, 2008)

Thanks, I will check it out.


----------



## colorsoundkid (Oct 19, 2008)

What was the "showdown" like in Fight Club?


----------



## Linton Robinson (Oct 19, 2008)

either see the movie or don't


----------



## colorsoundkid (Oct 19, 2008)

This _is_ a discussion forum. It's for writers, too. I don't feel it's out of line for me to assume people would discuss things with more than broken sentences and rude grunts. 

Does anyone have any complete thoughts on the topic?


----------



## Tom88 (Oct 20, 2008)

Discussing it seriously lessens the impact.

But okay, the protagonist is a messed up insomniac who meets a slick, together soap salesman with some interesting ideas. Protagonist is taken under his wing, idolizes him.

Towards the end it's revealed that this soap salesman is actually a split personality within the protagonist, who operates while the protagonist believes he's sleeping. This is backed up by the fact none of the third party characters have ever seen this "Tyler". In the movie it's a wicked kick in the pants, I venture to say no one saw it coming.

But yeah, developing alter-egos as a means to wrestle with one's inner-self, or temptations, is one way of doing it.


----------



## Wallmaker (Oct 23, 2008)

If a character's problem is a drug addiction, as you mentioned, then seeing the trigger and what it means to the character can lead to the showdown.  Maybe a situation set up that they would have used earlier in the story, but now they have to be stronger and not use and get through it.  But everything I've just described is external, the action as a result of internal.  I think that's the key.  We can't see into your characters brain, so their actions just have to be clear and we'll know the struggle.


----------

