needed: when good characters do bad things

[a_priori]

A request for my literary-minded friends: I'm looking for examples from fiction (ideally novels or short stories, but film is okay) of fundamentally decent characters who are pushed to make certain morally abominable choices because of the terrible society in which they live

Comments

[a_priori]

Thanks, several of these are good places to start. The Handmaid's Tale sounds especially promising - I haven't read it in years and have forgotten all of the plot details. I'll have to find my copy!

[flamingjune07]

I feel like Pierre from War and Peace is perhaps supposed to be exactly that, or that sort of struggle is his defining characteristic? He might be too sympathetic, though, and for some reason I'm blanking on specific examples of episodes that would display this.

[a_priori]

Ooh, I can't remember anything about that book! And I did read the whole thing (in high school). If any particular incidents pop to your mind, let me know.

[jellyfish93]

hmm, good question. will peruse my bookshelves this evening.

[a_priori]

If you think of anything, I'd love to hear it.

[trickeration]

Captain Vere from Billy Budd, by Melville.

[a_priori]

Oh, I've never read that. But the plot summary on Wikipedia looks promising... Thanks!

[vaelynphi]

Uh, Severus Snape?

Okay, so perhaps that's not quite it, but he does go from basically a bullied overachiever to The Dark Lord's right-hand man/double (quadruple?) agent.

I can't help it; I've been watching too much Harry Potter.

Probably dystopian literature is full of these sorts of things; I think I've read too much fantasy lately to be even remotely helpful.

[a_priori]

Ack, I haven't read the last three books yet!

(I suppose that is my own fault.)