So, I did finish Catch-22. I will modify my statement from last time slightly. Yes, I still think it’s a good book. Now after finishing it, I think it’s even better than I thought previously. Last time I did mention that the book uses the humor in a curious way to build up suspense during the Avignon bombing, which I still hold true. After picking up the book again I realized that it is indeed true for the entire second half of the book. You know how it goes, you write a few paragraphs on your website, you go to bed, pick up the book, read what happens to Kid Sampson and McWatt. Yossarian recalling the Avignon bombing in increasing gruesomeness as the book goes on also helps establish that motif. I still hold that it can be a slog to read at times. But now after continuing on to pick up Naked Lunch, I sure long for a coherent story.

Last time I wrote that one of the main strengths of the book are the characters. I think the characters forming the backbone works well for any story, for what is a plot if not a sequence of actions performed by the characters. After finishing my last writing I became to wonder; which characters in literature have I enjoyed the most?

A couple of characters sprung into mind: Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, Ignatius J. Reilly from A Confederacy of Dunces and Too-Ticky from Moominland Midwinter, to name a few. Although all of these characters have contributed to me shaping my own personality in some way or another, my most favorite character in fictional literature has to be Captain Hastings from Agatha Christie’s Poirot books.

Hastings is a sidekick to Poirot, a master detective who always solves the mystery at the end of the book. He isn’t as smart as Poirot, but he is intelligent in his own way. He is a World War I veteran, and he often comes across a pleasant gentleman, although with somewhat boyish naivete. He does help Poirot solve cases, usually by providing the critical clue by accident. He has his flaws, as he is swayed by female attraction, and often goes after the wrong suspects if left on his own. The stories are often told from his perspective and he works as the reader’s surrogate, asking questions on the reader’s behalf.

What I like in my characters, protagonists or not, is being able to show competence and responsibility that comes from authority. Very few characters in fiction are written this way; if a character is competent and has authority within the story’s environment, it is hard to think up obstacles for the character to overcome and thus create a compelling story. Frodo Baggins is not a competent warrior and therefore can’t face an army of orcs alone; he must deal with the situation in another way. He also doesn’t have any authority in Middle-Earth, and therefore can’t force other characters to help him on his cause. I do like Frodo as a character, but it is very common to write your characters this way in order to have a plot with threats and obstacles.

I’ve never got that feeling from Hastings. He is competent and capable, but since the books are written as mysteries playing against his strong points, he still has obstacles to overcome. He is capable; he has a sharp mind and can form his own theories based on logic and established clues. As Poirot himself is not physically capable, it is left to Hastings to break down doors and apprehend suspects. He has authority in many situations; as a former officer he often assumes the highest authority at a crime scene, forbidding suspects from leaving the venue. He is determined and brave in any situation, and works with high morals.

The crucial difference is that Hastings is not competent only when compared to Poirot; Poirot is the one to solve the case, which Hastings alone could not accomplish. On his own, in any other situation than a mystery, Hastings would be very much on top of things. His flaws are relatable, even when unwittingly working against Poirot, as in the book Murder on the Links.

Of course, one can’t overlook his film portrayal in Agatha Christie’s Poirot, played by Hugh Fraser. I think of that film series the same I think of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, meaning the casting is perfect. Poirot played by David Suchet, Inspector Japp played by Philip Jackson and, of course, Hugh Fraser bringing Captain Hastings alive as the wonderfully charming detective sidekick. Truth to be told, when reading the books I can’t help but have the mental image of Hugh Fraser’s performance whenever Captain Hastings is on the page.

To me, Hastings is the perfect model of a character. Still competent in his own right and not artificially restrained by planting him in an environment where he has no power over the situation. I admit it is difficult to write such a character in any other story than a detective one, but I’m sure there are examples. I say, old chap!