blog 8 (light and darkness)

The concept of light and dark narratives is a playful matter, but also a very serious one. Reading books and poems have helped me to best identify the workings of light and dark narratives.  I guess the most common answer about this binary is probably: “there is opposition in all things.” Which is, of course, true. But these binaries, such as light and dark, aren’t mutually exclusive. There seems to be one that dominates. Take the terms “male and female” or even “up/down,” “on/off” “left/right,” “raw/cooked,” “nature/culture.” “Right” seems to be the dominate of “left,” “up” more so than “down,” and “male” more so than “female.” I noticed that narratives could be the same way when it comes to light and dark. In narratives, sometimes lightness prevails, and other times darkness becomes the greater half.

The challenge is simply that “darkness” seems to outweigh the light in many narratives. Especially now, I find this to be true. I don’t think darkness or lightness is absolute, or solid “white” or solid “black,” because there is a lot of “gray.” Perhaps, this grayness leaves this binary ambiguous (which could be effective). But dark narratives seem to appeal to audiences these days. Darkness (in my terms) blackens the hope, the warmth of love, and suffocates the “light” into total blackness. Ultimately, the character is trapped in this blackness (the fall) forever.

So, basically, the challenge is to outweigh the darkness with the radiance of light within our storytelling. For example, in the book (not the film) “The Road,” the story is placed in absolute darkness— the human race as clearly been wiped out. It’s dreadful. However, McCarthy brings this incandescent relationship between the father and the son to outweigh the darkness. Perhaps, this is still too “dark” but I think that’s the challenge. In order to reach the audience, connect with them— we have to be able to confront our very own binary, our very own darkness. But, for me, I have to careful that the darkness doesn’t outweigh the light. Light must prevail.

The poem “Invictus” perfectly suits this binary. “Out of the pit that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul… under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody, but unbowed.” I love how William Henley takes darkness very seriously even to the point where darkness may prevail, but he assures us that light we’ll find us, and be the captain of our souls.