Character Sketch: Rebekah Mikaelson

     It's difficult being a teenage girl. It's even more difficult to be a teenage girl who is immortal and one of the oldest vampires in history. Rebekah Mikaleson waltzed onto The Vampire Diaries scene in season 3 after eighty years in a coffin. Beautiful, intelligent, naive and also possessing a selfish and vengeful nature, Rebekah is constantly battling her  vampire immortality with the desire to be a normal human girl.

     Rebekah was born over 1,000 years ago to a Viking family hailing from Norway. Before her birth, her mother and father left their homeland and traveled to North America where they settled in what is now Virginia. Rebekah grew up as the only girl surrounded by five brothers. She was a sweet and independent girl who adored her powerful mother and felt that her father underestimated her. For years her family and their small settlement lived in peace where they were protected by the servants of nature (witches) and were friendly with the native people who transformed into werewolves every full moon.

     However, Rebekah's happy life ended when her younger brother was killed by a werewolf during his transformation. Overwhelmed with grief (and already burdened by a lost of their oldest child back in Norway), Rebekah's parents defy the natural order and use magic and blood to make their family immortal. However, immortality and strength came at a cost and the whole Mikaleson family became slaves to their insatiable blood lusts. Soon, Rebekah and her brothers became hunted by their own father who seeks to destroy the evil he created.

     For as long as she has been a vampire, Rebekah has forever been on the run from her father. Fear can make people deny goodness and mercy in order to survive. In the beginning of The Vampire Diaries, Rebekah is just as cruel and inhumane as her brothers, but the overwhelming kindness and discipline from the residents of Mystic Falls (also her former home) begin to sink into Rebekah. Overtime, she begins to see that she can be good, decent and sacrificial. Once away from the influence of her brothers, Rebekah becomes the independent woman she always longed to be and know that her choices, her life and heart are hers and hers alone to control.

Character Sketch: James Potter

     Sometimes to understand a child, one might need to understand the parent. That was most definitely Harry Potter's case when he started to learn about his father. James Potter can be considered a plethora characteristics both good and bad. We never actually meet James Potter until book five (The Order of The Phoenix) and even then that was in a biased memory from Professor Snape. So, during books one through four, Harry first grows up having no idea who his father is and then overnight (literally) is told that his dad is a hero in the wizarding world. For a lonely orphan, that can be the best description a child can get about his parent.

     As the books progress, Harry begins to delve deeper and deeper into who his father was. Upon meeting his godfather, Sirius Black and Professor Lupin, James' oldest and closest friends, Harry discovers who his father was in a much closer sense. James Potter was a Pureblood wizard from a large and lively family. He was somewhat spoiled, very intelligent and a troublemaker of the highest extreme, However, his trouble doesn't always com from malicious intent (that's what Harry is led to believe in the beginning), but rather to help others when no one else will. 

     However, not everyone is a fan of James Potter. While James was a good friend, he was a terrible adversary especially toward Severus Snape. When Harry was younger, Snape oftentimes told him how his arrogance, stubbornness and disregard for the rules came from his own father. How James ruined his life and made it miserable. Of course, Harry doesn't believe it until he gets a cold dose of reality when he discovers 'Snape's worst memory' is of James and his friends hazing and bullying Snape when they were at school together. 

      As a reader who (at the time) hated Snape, I both loved and hated the chapter. It was nice seeing the snarky professor get owned when he was a student. Yet, it also confirmed that everything Snape said about James was true; he was arrogant, self-centered, uncontrollable and a bully. Snape is the way that he is toward Harry because of James' treatment of him in school. However, what was hardest for Harry to believe was that his own mother hated James. For years he thought they had this wonderful perfect love story, but it turned out to be so much more complex. 

     Harry is comforted by Lupin and Sirius afterwards when they tell him that his father did settle down, left Snape alone and eventually Lily did fall madly in love with him. James finally decided to grow up and realize that there were worse and more evil enemies out in the world then the ones he had at school. James Potter did die sacrificing himself for his wife and his baby and became Harry's greatest inspiration for overcoming the growing darkness in his troubled life. 

     While I wouldn't say that James Potter is a controversial character, fans have had a lot of fun discussing his character as a student. Some people think he's terrible, but I simply say that he was a regular teenager who had a lot of growing up to do. The best thing about the character of James Potter is that he is only seen through memory and perception. And yet what we do mange to see was a flawed, but very brave (or reckless) boy who developed into an extraordinary man who defied fear and hate, even if it meant losing his life. Maybe James saw elements of his younger bullying self in the evil he was fighting and realized how prejudiced and cruelty can be the beginning of personal destruction. 

Character Sketch: Princess Leia

     Since 1977, Princess Leia Organa has been the paragon of a true action heroine. Beautiful, strong, intelligent as well as charming and courageous. Few female characters have been able to live up to her, but so many girls have been inspired by her as well. Leia's allure doesn't come from the fact that she is a princess or even a general, but rather as someone who loves deeply and has no shame in showing it.

     Leia is a woman with many familial connections; the daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, twin sister to Luke Skywalker, wife to Han Solo and mother to Ben Solo (Kylo Ren). Leia inherited her mother's gift of politics and leadership and her father's powerful intuition of the Force. The Force tends to be stronger with Leia than with her brother which allows her to control her emotions and fuel them into her decisions.

      Leia's legendary love story with space pirate Han Solo is has been the stuff of romantic and comedic relationships that is reminiscent of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. A young and strong-willed princess who finds herself face to face with a handsome, older rogue is hardly forgettable. However, Han and Leia's relationship has been rocky and unsteady from the beginning and comes to a halt when their son, Ben abandoned them. While her brother and husband fled, Leia remained strong and continued on with her work to protect the Galaxy. 

     After the young orphan, Rey, proves herself in battle and conflict, Leia sees a small bit of her younger self. Loss and fear that is encompassed by bravery and kindness. Everything in Leia's life whether love or loss has created a woman who will not succumb to the evil around her and never back down from a fight. A woman whose integrity and compassion has made her a leader, a rebel and role model for girls and woman that has endured for almost forty years.

Character Sketch: Edward Travilla

Using Allan Leech's Tom Branson for my inspiration of Edward Travilla.

     If you are unfamiliar with Edward Travilla, then here's a basic summery. 

     Edward Travilla is the husband of the beautiful and devout Christian heroine, Elsie Dinsmore, in The Elsie Dinsmore book series written by Martha Finley in the late 1860s. The Elsie Dinsmore books were the most popular children's books for decades, especially amongst Christian readers. In the early 2000s there was a revival in the series, when A Life of Faith took the original twenty-eight novels and condensed them into eight updated novels. 

      Edward Travilla can be placed into two categories. He is either the irresistible and noble Christian hero of the 19th century antebellum south; or a controversial fictional character whose crime was being twenty years older than his wife as well being as her father's best friend. However one may sum up Edward Travilla, he was written to be a man devoted to God, his family and the people around him, and a hero that can easily stand next to Mr. Darcy and Matthew Crawley.

     Yet, to understand Edward, you must first understand his beloved Elsie. For years, Elsie Dinsmore has been hated by both Christian and secular audiences alike because of her moral minded Christian beliefs, her inability to stand up for herself (as a child at least), and her sappy, crybaby nature. While Elsie may seem too good to be true at first, people can be a little more understanding of her dire circumstances of living with a family that hates her for her wealth and beauty, a completely incompetent father who mistreats her in the beginning and how her faith in God is her only sanity. 

     Also, most audiences view Elsie from a modern day POV and should realize that Elsie is at the mercy of the people who despise her. She has no choice but to submit to the cruelty of her family and at the times she does stand up for herself, she's is punished. Elsie is forever caught between a rock and a hard place no matter her situation, so a little mercy to this kid isn't too much of a hardship. 

      So, now we can finally get to Edward! Edward is the best friend of Horace Dinsmore and meets Horace's daughter Elsie when she is eight years old. Afterwards, Edward becomes a loving older brother figure to Elsie and overtime, falls in love with her, in spite of their twenty year age gap.* While people nowadays consider this the nature of a pedophile, then I would ask, how is Edward's relationship with Elsie any different from George Knightley's relationship with Emma Woodhouse in Jane Austen's novel "Emma"? Sixteen years age difference, good friends with her father and always looking out for her? There is really no difference at all between the two men. 

     Like Knightley, Edward is handsome, wealthy and well respected. Edward's father died when he was young and he has no brothers and sisters. So, he understands loss and loneliness from an early age and can identify with Elsie on that matter. While Edward tends to mind his own business, he is not above calling out his best friend on his mistreatment of his daughter in the first couple of books. Edward is the only person in the stories not afraid to stand up to Horace and tell him the hard truth about the heartless monster he tended to be.

     Edward never sets off to be the romantic hero, that's just who he is. As a Christian he believes in the responsibility of standing for those who cannot stand up for themselves and respecting human dignity.** On many occasions, Edward is forever coming to Elsie's rescue when she is being hurt, abused or manipulated. I know I can't be the only reader who has reread the chapter "A Friend To The Rescue" from book three, Elsie's New Life, over and over again, because Edward finally did to Elsie's uncle what no one else in the story has had the guts to do. Edward then proceeds to rescue Elsie from running away with a conman and saves her reputation (how very Mr. Darcy of him). And while Elsie is under Edward's influence, she grows and blossoms in confidence, strength and faith.

    While Edward Travilla may seem an obscure character to many modern readers, for the small Elsie Dinsmore fanbase (that are brave enough to admit that they enjoy the books), Edward is a picture of a good Christian man that like Elsie herself, may seem to perfect to be real, but still gives a decent picture of the character qualities we should strive to live for and should also strive to see in others.

* Probably one of the reason why the books haven't been made into films yet.

** Of course, this comes into questioning because Edward is a plantation owner and, until the Civil War, owned many slaves, but that was also staying true to history and Edward is described as being a very generous and kind master.

Character Sketch: Morgana LeFay Pendragon

(Note: this is not about Morgana from Merlin, but about the actual Arthurian legend)

     Queen, princess, sister, sorceress, priestess, lover, murderer, legend. Morgana LeFay Pendragon is a plethora of characteristics that has defined one of the most archetype feminists that was way before her time. Like with her counterpart, Guinevere, Morgana has been on both sides of the fence. She has been ultimate good and she has been ultimate evil. She has been Arthur's enemy, ally and lover. There has been a consistent love/hate story between Merlin and Morgana and their own advantageous relationship is older than the knights of the Round Table. Yet, no matter what side Morgana is on, there is something about who she is that gives her character such longevity.

     Like I said above, Morgana is a feminist that was written in legend at a time where women were still being sold off to men in marriage. What sets Morgana apart is that she has never needed a man to survive. She is clever, witty, manipulative and even cruel. Yet within her extreme intelligence, Morgana has always had the capabilities to do the wrong thing for the right reason. In most legends she is bound by history and by rights the throne is rightfully hers, but she must first combat Arthur (her half brother) to obtain it. Morgana is usually portrayed as a sorceress who uses her magic for evil instead of for good. That how she and Merlin are most strongly opposed to one another. Merlin normally is seen using his magic as a necessity, but Morgana uses magic because she can.

      At times, one cannot help but pity Morgana. She is by rights a queen, but the preference primogeniture laws at the time prohibit her from taking what is hers. So, the question is, does Arthur rightfully take the throne because he is male conceived by magic or does Morgana rule because she is a natural blood heir, even though she is a woman? While Morgana craves power, she oftentimes craves something so much more. Love and a family. Deep within Morgana is the capability to love and that is often shown with the character of Mordred who is sometimes written as her own son or a child she cares for. Yet, Morgana chooses power and control over love which usually cuts her off from affection and familial happiness.

     While Morgana has been written and portrayed in every way imaginable, her one consistent attribute that always remains is her neverending strength. She remains standing when all around her fall, she never wavers in her beliefs (even when she may be wrong), she has never lives by men's rules and is passionate in her causes. In most cases, Morgana is more anti-hero than villain She has a lot of good reasons for doing what she does, but does that necessarily make it right? While the throne may rightfully be hers by birth, does that mean she will be a good queen? Morgana is a character that creates more questions than answers and is a woman that will never submit to anyone's authority, least of all, a man's authority.

Character Sketch: Obi-Wan Kenobi

This GIF is so cute! I could watch it for hours!!!

     At one point in time, a little girl may have dreamed of a knight in shining armor. I know I did, but my knight had a shiny lightsaber instead of armor. Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most beloved characters in the entire Star Wars franchise. Gifted with great integrity, compassion, wisdom and above all, courage, Obi-Wan is the friend, mentor, soldier (and love interest) that creates the stuff of true heroes. While there is nothing really extraordinary about Obi-Wan Kenobi, his legend lies in the fact that he was truly a good and honorable person. His whole life was dedicated to the bettering of the galaxy, the continual learning of the Jedi Way and the never ending will to end corruption and injustice.

     Due to the way the movies were written, Obi-Wan's storyline works backwards; first meeting him as an old hermit in Tatooine who lives under the name Ben Kenobi. He meets and trains Luke Skywalker in the Jedi Way before he is murdered by his former padawan, Anakin Skywalker or Darth Vader. Afterwards, Ben Kenobi returns to Luke as a Jedi ghost who continues to mentor and train him. Even for what small time Ben had in the story, he was fundamental in the guidance of Luke Skywalker and preparing him for the trials he was to face as a Jedi and a man.

      Several years later, we go back in time and are introduced again to Obi-Wan Kenobi, but this time as a young padawan who is under the guidance of Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan is a gifted and obedient padawan, but at times can be rash and outspoken. However, Qui-Gon Jinn sees great potential in his student and believes that Obi-Wan will be an even greater Jedi than himself. After his master's death, Obi-Wan is tasked with the training of young Anakin Skywalker, a task that will change his life forever and test him in every way imaginable.

Obi-Wan Kenobi throughout the years.

     We seem to live in a culture where evil is glorified. It's fun to be bad and the villains are just misunderstood people with tragic lives. And yet, Obi-Wan Kenobi is still loved and revered as one of the greatest fictional heroes in movie history. Other characters such as Captain America and Superman are tossed by the wayside because their morals are boring. However, one is an alien and the other a super-soldier, therefore, as characters, they are unrealistic and their high moral standards are unattainable. Obi-Wan Kenobi is neither an alien or a super-solider. He is completely human and his human nature to embrace goodness and do good is what has made him as iconic legend. Which is also why I consider him my favorite hero.

      Obi-Wan was not a prophesied Messiah, he did not conquer great kingdoms, he didn't have a tragic love story (that we know of), he didn't play on the fence between the dark side and the light side. He was genuinely good his whole life long. He was fearless and bold to do what was right. He cared deeply for other people and was gifted with incredible compassion. He lived by the rules and was obedient to the authority he was under.  He could admit that he was afraid and then go out and face what he feared. Obi-Wan Kenobi never compromised no matter the situation and truly lived the life he believed in until his dying day.

Character Sketch: Natasha Romanoff//Black Widow

      She's beauty, she's grace and she'll punch you in the face. That pretty much sums up MARVEL's former KGB spy turned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Natasha Romanoff or Black Widow. The red-headed assassin made her appearance in Iron Man 2 as the demure and professional Natalie Rushman who was hired as Tony's personal secretary after Pepper took over Stark Industries. Since then, Natasha has taken the fan-world by storm with her combination of beauty, brains, practicality and common sense. Although a skilled martial artist, Natasha's incredible fighting abilities contribute only a small percentage to her immense popularity. It's truly Natasha's fight to overcome her tortuous past that has endeared herself to fans and has proven that a female character can go beyond just a pretty face and a great body. 

     As the MARVEL franchise has progressed over the years, so has Natasha's storyline. With each movie she's in, the audience is given a more personal account of her life as a spy for the KGB faction, "The Red Room." In The Avengers, she recounts to Loki of her life as a Russian spy and assassin who did whatever it took to get the job done. When S.H.I.E.L.D. got her on their radar, they sent one of their own, Clint Barton or Hawkeye, to kill her. However, as Natasha says, "Clint made a different call," and instead brought her to S.H.I.E.L.D. to train as an agent. 

     In Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, more of Natasha's painful past is revealed including the 'graduation ceremony' at the Red Room which was the sterilization of all girls to prevent pregnancies. In only a matter of seconds, the brave and brazen assassin becomes a conflicted and guilt ridden young women who is aching for love and a place to belong. The prevention of having children made Natasha more human and relatable than any other character in the MARVEL storyline. While femi-nazis complained that Natasha's grief made her weak, others applauded the decision to really show how vulnerable and broken she was. Through that brokenness, though, she was healed by the work she did at S.H.I.E.L.D. the friends she made, and the unexpected love she found. 

     You can hardly put Natasha's whole storyarch in nutshell, but to put it simply, Natasha is a women who is driven to do what is best for the world she lives in. She has a strong sense of justice and right and wrong, is sacrificial to a fault and always gives people the benefit of the doubt. Another admirable quality about Natasha is that she has no desire to lead; she is perfectly content with being the second in command and does not question the male authority she is under (unless she believes that there is a better way). While Natasha fights alongside men, she is still undeniably feminine and does not feel that she has 'to be a man' in order to be a woman.

     Writing a female character is difficult. Writing a complex female character who is the sole women working in a man's world is next to impossible. Yet, MARVEL hit the jackpot with Natasha who has also paved the way for other female heroes such as Agent Peggy Carter, Wanda Maximoff, Maria Hill and Agent Sharon Carter. While beauty and agility are capable qualities, Natasha's strong sense of duty, submission to good authority, and compassionate nature have taken her beyond the title of 'strong female character' and have made her a women that truly lives instead of just surviving. 

Character Sketch: Kenickie

     He’s handsome and charming as well as arrogant and reckless. Seventeen year old T-Bird greaser Kenickie holds the title of the most popular guy at Rydell High in the mid 1950’s. Every girl wants him and every guy wants to be him. Now in his senior year of high school, life is great for Kenickie. All he has to worry about is getting his dream car ready for the race at Thunder Road against the rival greaser gang, the Scorpions.

      Then along came Rizzo, the sassy brazen leader of the Pink Ladies, who doesn’t waste time in getting into the back seat of Kenickie’s car. Soon, they become an item, until Kenickie insults her on a date (“A hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card”) and Rizzo calls off the relationship. No hard loss for Kenickie though. He can just pick the next girl that’s dreaming to be with him.

      However, Kenickie’s teenage dream lifestyle comes to a screeching halt when he gets the news that Rizzo might be pregnant...with his child. By this point in the story we have gathered that Kenickie is an arrogant and self-centered teenager who lives off of adrenaline and sex. So, one would think that upon hearing this news, Kenickie would wave it off, deny that he’s possibly the father and tell Rizzo that she should deal with it. However, Kenickie does just the opposite. When he confronts Rizzo, he immediately offers to help her, even after she tells him that he may not be the father.

      And that’s when everything gets personal with Kenickie from that point on. After Kenickie and Rizzo broke up, Rizzo gets back at him by going as his rival’s date to the Rydell dance. So now, this baby may be his, but it may also be the baby of his rival who Kenickie knows is a terrible person and never cared about Rizzo at all. Conflicted with guilt for leaving Rizzo and also with a sense of responsibility, Kenickie goes through an incredible coming of age story arc that isn’t seen in any of the other characters.

      By the time the story ends and our characters have graduated, Kenickie is a very different person. His hard hit with reality, due to his reckless behavior, wakes him up and makes him realize that it’s not all about him. He goes from boy to man with an agenda to help Rizzo whether she wants it or not. Now while Rizzo holds her own share of the blame and doesn’t demand anything from her ex, she feels that her own stand-offish nature and inability to see the good in others are her greatest downfalls.

      Although Rizzo’s pregnancy ends up being false alarm, the shock and fear of becoming teenage parents as well as not knowing who the father is, really molded Kenickie and Rizzo into admirable characters. Kenickie, especially as a greaser with a reputation to protect, was willing to risk everything to help a troubled girl that he had hurt. Although his story arc is a small one that gets lost in the film, there is no denying that Kenickie (more than Danny) really ended up as an unexpected hero when he took responsibility for his actions and began to live in the adult world.

Character Sketch: Sansa Stark

Sophie Turner as Lady Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones

(Note: I had plans to do Sansa's sketch in April, long before I knew that season 6 was premiering last night!
 Perfect timing though!!)

     One of the most controversial characters in the Game of Thrones series, Sansa Stark's character can be summed up in one word, conflicting. Beautiful, polite, generous and noble, Sansa Stark is a quintessential lady that would have the makings of a loved queen. And that is all Sansa has wanted...or is it what she has been told to want? Is Sansa just an airhead with unrealistic romantic ideals or is she a product of her environment?

     When we first meet Lady Sansa, she is a sweet natured teenager living with her family at their home in Winterfell, set in the great North of Westeros. Sansa is the oldest daughter of Lord Eddard and Lady Catlyn Stark. She has one older brother, Robb, two little brothers, Bran and Rickon and one younger sister (and the bane of her existence), tomboyish Arya. Needless to say, Sansa is the pride and joy of her family and all of Winterfell have high hopes for her to marry Crown Prince Joffrey.  

      Sansa has been raised to be a lady who may end up becoming a queen. That is all she has known and that is what has been encouraged her whole life. So, how can one accuse Sansa of daydreaming about castles and crowns when that is what she has grown up expecting to happen to her? Her mother had no problem shipping her daughter off to marry a boy she had only known for 24 hours. Her father, although he saw the Lannisters as nothing short of satanic, still encouraged the marriage because that's what was done. That was the only reason to have a daughter. Only Arya had the sense to see that this was dangerous for her sister and it's understandable why she wanted no part in becoming a lady.

Sophie Turner as Lady Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones

     Eventually, Sansa's hopes and dreams of marriage and children begin to crumble. Joffrey and his family (with the exception of his uncle, Tyrion) turn out to be cruel, manipulative and inhumane. Sansa watched as they executed her father and then proceeded to keep her as a hostage using her as leverage for the war between the Starks and the rest of Westeros. Sansa is beaten, abused, almost sexually assaulted and humiliated to no end. Her only allies are Tyrion (whom she is made to marry), Shae (her lady in waiting and Tryion's secret mistress) and illusive Petyr Balish, who ends up betraying her in the end. Not much hope for her at all.

  

     Yet, no matter how many disasters Sansa must face, there is one thing that holds her together and becomes her consistent sanctuary. She is still a Stark of Winterfell. While she may have been taught to be a lady, she was also raised to reason, ascertain, and weigh every option. She was taught to think on her feet and not lay down dead when she's pushed to the ground. While Sansa's childhood may have a protective bubble of family perfection, she was not without the knowledge of the evils of the world. 

     Every person has their breaking point and at the end of Season 5, Sansa has finally hit hers. She is at the absolute worst in her life. Trapped in a abusive marriage with no allies and increasingly no hope, Sansa would rather die trying to escape than live in this nightmare that was once her home. Up till now Sansa's whole life on the show has been a crucible of pain, heartache and fear. Now, from the crucible, a naive, romantic, sweet girl is transformed into a strong-willed, courageous she-wolf that is finally ready to fight for her family, her home and for herself. 

Character Sketch: Michael Corleone

      While most people know who Michael Corleone is (the third son of the first Godfather, Vito Corleone, who took over the family's illegal crime business when Vito died), there is the constant question of what Michael Corleone is. 

Is he a hero for taking over the family business? 

An anti-hero for killing to save the one's he loves? 

A villain for his cruel tactics and manipulation? 

A sinner, yes; a saint, definitely not. 

While Michael Corleone may be a plethora of characteristic contradictions, there is no denying that he is a tortured soul who longs for redemption. There is something about Michael that tends to magnetically draw people to him. Many people might be able to relate to him. The odd child that never fit it, the son desperate to leave, sometimes perceived as the runaway or the prodigal. 

     Michael lives in the shadow of his oldest brother Sonny, whom he can never seem to match in personality. He is close to his second older brother Fredo, but Fredo's fragile nature sometimes seems too shallow for Michael. Then there is Constanza or Connie, the only daughter, the spoiled little sister who gets what she wants and sometimes gets what she may not deserve. At the center of all of this is Michael's loving, but sometimes distant mother, and his extraordinary and beloved father, Vito who is worshiped and feared by everyone who knows him.

      The Corleone family is lively and there is no shortage of love and drama to go around. Yet, that is not what Michael wants. He doesn't want his father's family, he wants to make his own. Michael longs for independence, freedom and his own identity; not just to be seen as Don Vito's third son. So when the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor, Michael enlists for the Marines that very day, causing conflict from his father, Sonny and Tom (Michael's adopted brother). 

Michael Corleone throughout the years

      Michael hoped that with the ending of the war would come the beginning of his independence from his family, but things go very differently. As "The Godfather" progresses you see the once happy, charming young man with hopes and dreams begin to descend into his father's underworld and that descent comes with may prices. When there is an assassination attempt on his father's life, Michael is called back home to help his family. 

     Eventually, he gets himself embroiled in a Mafia war that has him exiled to Sicily where he meets and marries beautiful young girl, Apollonia. Just when Michael believes he is finally happy and able to live as he sees fit, the family business finds him and destroys all his hopes of family and that is where any chance of Michael's independence ends.

     While the reader (or viewer) may pity Michael's lot in having to run the family business, the man manages to justify every mean he uses to control the business. Michael lost his own independence and dreams of success, so the only way he can get them back is by using the family business that he was once running away from and create his own successful life within it. Success means murder, lying, cheating, bribing and manipulating your way into the highest seat of power. If Michael wants power than he will have it. If he wants justice than he will obtain it.

The Corleone family in happier times -- 1958, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

      All Michael really has at the end of the day is his wife (who leaves him) and his children, Anthony and Mary. During the second film, it was obvious that Michael preferences his son over his daughter. However, in the third film, we get the understanding that Michael's past sins has caused his son to distance himself from his father and leave him. That opens up Michael's relationship with his daughter whom he believes he has neglected in lieu of the family business. Mary hopes now that she will get the love and affection that she has craved her whole life for from her father. 

      

     Happiness is never a certainty with Michael Corleone and in the end he has saved the family, but loses the most precious thing in his life. His daughter. The little girl he could have spent a little more time with is ripped from his life and he will never recover from his grief. 

     The repetitive theme of 'how far do you go for the ones you love?' is consistent throughout Michael's life. While he may be a hero to some, a villain to others, and an anti-hero to a larger majority, Michael Corleone was a man who, in the beginning, was trying to forge his own life. While Michael Corleone was no saint, he was not entirely evil either. An extraordinary greatness is thrust upon him and all he can do is carry his family as best as he can and live life as well as he is able. 

Character Sketch: Emily Prentiss

Criminal Minds (CBS)

      Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss of the Behavior Analysis Unit (BAU) in Quantico,  Virginia, has always known how to stay ahead of the game. Beautiful, brilliant and compassionate, Emily is the type of woman that makes men uncomfortable just standing next to her. Although an incredible agent, Emily has an uncanny ability to sense the deeper issues in someone's private life. Emily has her own past she has been running away from for years and her hard life experience has made her sensitive, but also incredibly wise to others that are struggling.

     Emily grew up traveling all over the world, because of her mother's work as an American diplomat. At 15, while living in Italy, Emily became pregnant and had an illegal abortion which haunted her for the rest of her life. Before joining the BAU, Emily was a member of Interpol. Halfway through the series, Agent Prentiss must revisit her former job when she becomes a target for an escaped criminal bent on revenge. While working at the BAU, Emily has a rough start, but her generous nature, practical thinking and calm reasoning soon wins everyone over (even Hotch).  

     While Emily has many great attributes, her greatest is her strength of character. She picks herself up when she has been beaten down, she remains in control even though she's terrified and she doesn't let her past mistakes dominate her future dreams. Emily is selfless and sacrificial to a fault and there isn't anything she wouldn't do for the people in her life. Although she loves deeply, falling in love has been a consistent struggle, but it doesn't prevent her from encouraging other people to pursue relationships of their own. 

     At the end of the day, Emily Prentiss is an ordinary woman who takes extraordinary measures to better the world she lives in. A consistent favorite on the show, Emily has been an on/off character and no one ever really knows if she's coming back or if she's going to stay. However, what time Emily has on the show, she always makes the most of it. There is a general reality to Emily Prentiss whether as a working woman, a friend or someone who cannot escape her past. However, I think deep inside of every person is the desire to be an Emily Prentiss; someone who can look fear in the face and say, "I am going to win."