Two Sides to a Story
Creating Empathy in Both the Protagonist and Antagonist
The other day, I came across a different kind of prompt. A call to write two monologues from the perspective of two characters in a given scenario with the goal to create empathy in the reader for each character.
I chose the Refugee Migration scenario in which, Maya, a 32-year-old mother of three, fleeing from widespread violence in Honduras is caught trying to cross the Mexico-Arizona border illegally. Along with other migrants, she and her children are apprehended by US Border Patrol agents, one of which is Santiago, 49, himself a third-generation Mexican-American. Though he sympathizes with the plight of migrants seeking American residence, he sees himself as a necessary part of the system of legal and orderly migration.
Maya, the mother
This is a nightmare; my dreams are being crushed. The officers are going to send us back. Back to hell. I must put on a brave face. For the sake of my children. I will show dignity and respect. I will not scream and beg.
One of those officers looks Mexican. He must know why we are here. He is a migrant, maybe he came with his parents. I will look him in the eyes. Maybe he will listen and hear. But he is also a man, and men I fear.
