The Character

What is your character? 

In other words, what is the representative of the infinite and absolute that you are?

What definable form is apparently shrinking and limiting the  indefinable being-ness of you?

The red plastic person-shape counter you used to choose for Ludo?  

The Rolls Royce car when you play Monopoly at Christmas?

Mrs Peacock in Clue/Cluedo? 

Michael, Trevor and Franklin of Grand Theft Auto? 

In this game of life, how is your character separated out from the others?

Colour?

Shape?

Job?

Football team?

Personality? 

Preferences? 

Role? 

Possessions? 

Knowledge?

Education?

Habits? 

Hobbies?

Problems?

Needs?

Lack?

Fear?

Failure? 

Whatever differentiates the ‘you’ player has to be very distinctive. The more distinctive the better.

So the character can say, ‘This is me. I know who I am. I am like this.’ 

It doesn’t matter if that distinction is:

‘I am the best thing since sliced bread. I should rule the world’ 

or 

‘I am a walking disaster. The world would be better off without me.’

Both serve the function of separating out the character from everything else. 

That’s a very important part of The Game. If the main character just got lost amongst all the other characters there would be No Game. 

The character does not decide its features, its distinctions. 

They just are. 

But, because the game always takes place from the perspective of the main character, these features, these needs, these problems, this identity, and above all this ‘self setting’ are what creates The Game.  

The character is vital.