Hey all,
How would you feel about a character admitting that he reached his breaking point? Would it make you think less of him? Or would it make that character seem more human and thereby more easy to relate to?
Here's the gist of the character's situation, just for context:
So, the story is winding down and almost at the climax. But just before my protagonist gets into a pinch. He's assaulted mentally and spiritually and basically made to suffer incredibly by a host of spirits from his past. (It's been done before, plenty of times but I feel why reinvent the wheel when it rolls just fine?) Anyway...
I made it a point to note that the character suffers so much from this experience that he admits to himself, if given the opportunity, he would quit his quest entirely to make this suffering end. The character is a very tough and brave person, especially considering that he's pretty much a "normal" guy that'll bleed just as easy as you or me. But I felt that reaching a breaking point or experiencing "ego death" as Joseph Campbell might put it, would be a good thing for the story and the character's development.
Or do you think readers would appreciate it more if he remains hellbent for leather and refuses to make this concession? After all even "normal" guys and gals are supposed to be more driven and motivated to solve their problems than the rest of us. That's why we write stories about them in the first place, right? Anyway, just trying to see what ya'll thought.
Thanks in advance for your advice!