(May contain Spoilers)J.L. WhittonThe Pendulum

In this essay I will be focusing on the characterisation that comprises The Pendulum and in particular the troubled character Portia. The morally grey, corrupt detective who fits into the chaotic good or chaotic neutral categories. She believes in the rule of law to a certain degree being a member of law enforcement but often ignores it to suit her own personal agenda or gain.

She isn’t completely devoid of morals or ethics though her actions are questionable and motivated by personal preservation and advancement. While this resembles neutral evil in pursuit of her objectives, she does have a human side and dreamed of being a good detective to help the socially disadvantaged and vulnerable. The book alludes to her being subject to child labour and as a result has a strong sense of social justice, though often strays from this vision with reprehensible actions.

She is partially a product of the milieu in which she lives and operates, a country touted as a place of freedom to escape a turbulent world, instead is tearing itself apart with corrutpion, mismanagement and increasingly unstable leadership. She immigrated there from Italy when she was a teenager and quickly became exposed to the violent world of the U.R.S.C. While she has good intentions, the conditions around her don’t allow for this as she has to be predatory to survive in the cut-throat world.

I wanted to write complex, interesting and ultimately flawed characters that straddle the line between hero and villain. She does express remorse for some of her actions but has no problems committing crimes against those who she believes are already corrupted or criminal. When I was creating the character I pictured in my head her resembling one of the actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. I wanted to model her after an actual woman and chose Hedy Lamarr, a interesting woman in her own right. An immigrant herself from Nazi occupied Austria, she used her engineering experience to develop a sonar to locate submarines to help the allies in World War II, she is the forerunner of modern Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology and honestly should receive more appreciation.

In a scene on page 52 Ally mentions that Portia reminds her of Lamarr, she is from a different era and I could have used a more modern celebrity but after hearing her story I thought it would be good to include her in the story in some way. Although it may be seen as a passing reference and not vitally important to the story, I think it helps humanise the characters and show their more vulnerable side.

Portia continues to be the voice of rationality amidst an increasingly unjust application of the law, which she believes in. She champions for the underdog and what she dosn’t believe in is governments using authority and power unchecked and unrestrained by justice to trample over the disadvantaged or downtrodden. After the coup plan fails spectacularly, Portia flees her life and everything she’s known in the space of a few days, her life irrevocably changed, her reputation tattered. To escape the people in her own department catching her she flees to a Township on the edge of an area of land within the country with no laws. The dilapidated town has made a deal with the government that they can remain there but no services will be provided to them, and as such they operate a tenuous shantytown in the desert that operates under its own laws.

Due to increasing government intrusion Portia becomes the unlikely voice for the people who have been banished to the desert and forgotten about by the increasingly erratic regime. Due to her connections and information she sets into motion the events that progress large parts of the book. Helping Ally, Osiris and many others along her journey. Even when she faces mountingly dire odds she perseveres and in many ways is triumphant. She embodies the resilience of the human spirit, although she unwillingly forced to participate in some horrific actions and practices she is constantly trying to improve conditions at the township.

In conclusion, Portia is a vitally important character and one that I hope is well written and will resonate with readers, making them questtion their own stance on a number of ethical and philosophical dilemmas. I can also see how some readers amy simultaneously support yet condemn their terrible behaviour. She is a multi-faceted and relatable character in the way she wants to do good but finds herself doing the opposite. I think she represents the struggle within many of us, I hope people can find a piece of themselves within her.