The Dark Side of Pettiness
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What Fictional Villains Can Teach Us
As the leaves turn and Halloween approaches, my spooky-craving thoughts can’t help but turn to the villains in our beloved stories of old. From Gaston's descent in "Beauty and the Beast" to Maleficent's curse in "Sleeping Beauty," they all share a common thread: they're driven to their evil actions by completely petty offenses. It's precisely this pettiness that makes them both relatable and, paradoxically, more reprehensible. But what does this reveal about us as human beings?
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The Small Slights That Lead to Darkness
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Jealousy, rejection, and the fear of aging are recurring themes that push these villains down a path of darkness. Gaston, rejected by Belle, becomes consumed by envy and pride. Maleficent, slighted by not receiving an invitation to a child's birthday party, retaliates with a curse that puts an innocent's life in jeopardy. These offenses are trivial, and yet they act as catalysts for much greater and more malevolent deeds.
The Slippery Slope of Pettiness
In the real world, it's often the small things, the petty grievances we justify, that lead us down a slippery slope. We're all capable of moral lapses when we convince ourselves that our actions are somehow justified. The danger lies in the fact that these petty things seem small, and this perception creates a deceptive pathway. Each tiny compromise of our morals seems inconsequential on its own, but collectively, they can snowball into something monstrous.
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Seeing Ourselves in Villains
What truly terrifies us about these fictional villains is not their supernatural powers or monstrous appearances but the fact that we can see ourselves in them. We recognize the humanity within these characters, their vulnerabilities and, ultimately, their capacity for wickedness. These villains are cautionary tales, warning us of the darkness that can take root within our own hearts when we allow petty offenses to guide our actions.
The Mirror of Morality
So, as Halloween looms and we embrace the spookier side of life, it's worth considering the fragility that lurks within us all. The villains we love to hate are mirrors that reflect our own capacity for evil when we're driven by jealousy, fear, or slights, no matter how minor. By recognizing this, we can strive to be better and resist the pull of darkness, choosing the path of empathy, kindness, and understanding.
Savannah Newton is a mother, artist at Wished Upon Studio, and project manager/solutions tech with The Collab Team.
She is a proud Dis-nerd and Harry Potter lover, and loves to over-analyze plot points and metaphors within children’s movies and content.
