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Why is that fictional characters have relationships?

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ivyeight6
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27 Feb 2023, 7:35 pm

I want to know why is that they can be husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. Why is that?



naturalplastic
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27 Feb 2023, 8:02 pm

Because fictional people are people. And thats what real people do.



ivyeight6
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27 Feb 2023, 8:38 pm

So. Why would their parents ask them to find a boyfriend or girlfriend?



naturalplastic
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27 Feb 2023, 8:43 pm

What exactly are you asking about?



ivyeight6
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27 Feb 2023, 8:47 pm

I meant them being asked by their parents to find a boyfriend or girlfriend.



naturalplastic
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27 Feb 2023, 10:14 pm

For the same reasons that real life parents ask their kids to get that.



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27 Feb 2023, 10:45 pm

ivyeight6 wrote:
Why is that fictional characters have relationships?  I want to know why is that they can be husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends. Why is that?
I will state my answer as a syllogism.

a. Fiction relies on conflict.
b. Relationships generate conflict.
: : Relationships are necessary for fiction.

Now, before your start asking "why" again, consider these relationships stated as literary modes of conflict:

• Character vs Character
• Character vs Nature
• Character vs Self
• Character vs Society
• Character vs Supernatural
• Character vs Technology

Each of these modes exploits the (usually hostile) relationship of 'Character' toward something else for literary conflict.  A story without relationships generates no conflict.  If a story has no conflict, then it may as well be a bland and banal travelogue.
ivyeight6 wrote:
Why would their parents ask them to find a boyfriend or girlfriend?
Why not?

You would have to ask the author of the fiction why he chose that particular means of initiating conflict in the story.