The Problem With Grey Morality

     
         I'm starting a series on this blog, it's called The Problem with ____. 

         In these posts I'll obviously be talking (writing) about the problem with a stereotype, character arc, or story line in young adult, so that should be fun. I've already written a post in this series without even realizing it, and it is called The Problem with Bad Boys if you haven't read it yet.

                   Grey morality is when something is neither fully good or bad, or something that is debatable on whether it's good or bad.

                    Now, I am a conservative homeschooled Christian, so one would think I wouldn't like grey morality at all, but I actually sort of do. 

                    I like to be conflicted, I like it when characters are complex. Real people aren't simply good or evil, so why should characters be? 

                    So why am I writing a post with the title The Problem with Grey Morality? 

                    Because I think it's being taken too far. 

                     A good example of this is the Avenger's movies, now the Avenger's franchise gets edgier every movie, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Avengers, but they do love grey morality. 

via: pinterest, I do not own any rights to this image, all credit to the original artist.**

                    It works for them too. Avengers is edgy, but not too edgy for the majority of more conservative families, while still being out there enough to not be considered "prude". 

                    In some ways I read and watch stuff like this and I'm okay with it, but sometimes things still stick out to me and make me re-think. 

                    

                    The problem is, we blur lines between good and bad too much. True, not everything's black and white, but at the same time, not everything is grey either, and thinking that everything and every sin is debatable is, frankly, pretty foolish. 

                   I remember this quote from The Series of Unfortunate Events, even though I haven't read that series since I was around nine: “People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict.” 

                 This quote really stuck with me, because the main villain used it to argue his case and to turn people to his side, I remember being disturbed at how reasonable he was when he stated it and how people found themselves agreeing with him and thinking that it's okay and normal to be a little evil. When in reality it's not.

             There's no real excuse for evil, in the end it is something that shouldn't be glorified. I liked how the book showed how dangerous it is to see only the grey areas. 

                 The literary world is full of grey spots, as well as in real life, but at the end of the day there is a line between light and darkness if we look for it, and it's a line that really shouldn't be blurred without care. 

                  When it is blurred there is always more trouble and conflict than necessary, and we as writers shouldn't forget that when creating worlds. 

What are your thoughts on grey morality in fiction?

Happy Writing,