Novel Narcissists: H.G. Tudor’s ‘Narcissists in Literature’ Series
H.G. Tudor, a
self-professed narcissistic psychopath, has taken it upon himself to educate
the world about narcissism so that people can recognise the signs and get away
from those who exhibit them, thus saving themselves a great deal of trouble. H.G.
freely admits he’s not doing so just to be nice, and he explains his
motivations via his blog and YouTube videos. Designated The Ultra under his own
classification system for different types of narcissists, H.G. provides
fascinating profiles of individuals such as Vladimir Putin, Lucy Letby, Andrew
Tate, Russell Brand, Meghan Markle, and Donald Trump, alongside many others, to
illustrate his points about narcissism, a condition that is becoming widely
recognised and discussed in today’s increasingly self-absorbed world.
An
individual who is both prolific and bored easily, H.G. constantly seeks new
ways of exploring and explaining his chosen subject matter. Hence the creation
of a series of profiles of famous fictional characters whose behaviour could be
seen as narcissistic. H.G. is careful to point out that of course these aren’t
real people, and the need for narrative satisfaction (happy endings, redemption,
and so on) may mean that a character doesn’t precisely fit narcissistic traits.
Nonetheless, so well-known are these individuals and their stories that they
provide a useful means through which narcissistic qualities can be considered.
Thus far, much
to my delight, H.G. has managed to cover three splendidly interesting literary
protagonists (well, he’s The Ultra, so he would, wouldn’t he?). To date, we
have Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliff, The Great Gatsby’s eponymous
antihero, and Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair. I’m sure more will be
forthcoming when he has time and inclination.
When I read Wuthering
Heights, I recall being surprised that it wasn’t at all what I had expected
based on the Kate Bush song and clips of movie versions I had seen
(star-crossed lovers, high romance, romantic hero and heroine with whom one
empathises and sympathises, etc.). Cathy and Heathcliff are, to my mind,
exceptionally irritating and self-centred individuals; furthermore, Heathcliff,
far from being a romantic hero, seems to me psychotic and psychopathic. How on
earth a young woman living in a Yorkshire parsonage came up with him, I have no
idea. It’s quite extraordinary and utterly magnificent.
Jay Gatsby
is a strange one—aspirational, single-minded, and obsessive, with a mysterious
background. Should we sympathise with him or not? As with Heathcliff, I’m not
sure that it’s appropriate to see him as a romantic hero foiled in pursuit of
his great love. Real love is often more prosaic than the kind of unyielding
passion shown by characters like this. Gatsby’s tenacity is compulsive and
selfish and, as H.G. explains, motivated by something other than love.
As for Becky
Sharp (another decidedly single-minded individual)... Well, I was beside
myself to see she was included. One of my favourite characters (possibly even
number one) of all time, Becky’s brilliance and awfulness is dissected by H.G.
in just the way I would like to do, had I the insight of The Ultra. He doesn’t
go quite so far as to leave her bloodied entrails on the floor, but as with
Heathcliff and Jay Gatsby, we are granted fresh insight into Becky’s interior
and why she acts as she does.
If you are
interested in understanding more about what narcissism is and/or you enjoy
delving into the motivations of literary protagonists, I strongly recommend
taking a trip into this series and into H.G. Tudor’s world generally. It’s
fascinating and, like the very best of literature, encourages you to look at
life and people in a rather different light.
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