We know of the lives torn apart by the unscrupulous acts of others. We feel the shift in society, and the hushed whispers as crime increases. We know the negative statistics spewed nightly in the news. However, what is the value of a villain?
I have often heard it preached that there is nothing that exists that does not serve some benefit. The famous adage that causes eyes to roll: “everything happens for a reason,” it is said with wagging fingers. These people, ironically enough, can never point to the reason when asked, and generally pass the buck to a higher power.
I began to think of these things as the rate of crimes appear to rise. What is the value of a villain? What purpose does he or she serve? Are we not unified by the affront we feel at the heinous acts perpetrated? Are we not comforted by the notion, that even if we are not the best, we are certainly better than them. We find a sense of belonging in this distinction between us and them. When we can join together in the face of danger and fear, are we not astonished by our own power, our own strength?
What do you think? Can you come up with any value for a villain?
The Writing Den 