Ignored Epiphany: Difference between revisions

A close cousin to [[My God, What Have I Done?]], this version tends to happen mostly to [[Villain Protagonist|Villain Protagonists]]s, [[Anti-Villain|Anti Villains]], [[Fallen Hero|Fallen Heroes]]es and sometimes [[Anti-Hero|Anti Heroes]]. Whereas [[My God, What Have I Done?]] tends to make a difference in a character's behavior and personality, the [['''Ignored Epiphany]]''' has a moment where the Villain or gray character has a moment of [[Heel Realization|clarity or revelation about themselves and their actions,]] seeing it in perspective for perhaps the first time and realizing exactly how useless and off base their various self-delusions and justifications were. It's often a low moment for these characters, and may provoke sympathy from the audience. The character may acknowledge it various ways, with a sigh, a bitter laugh, muttering "[[What Have I Become?]]" or possibly saying to someone or themselves "I've really messed this one up". A common variant is a character starting to so say "[[My God, What Have I Done?]]'', stopping halfway through, then blaming the whole thing on some other person or outside force.

* Neo Roanoke in ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny]]'' is fully aware that he's a monster, and that what he does--[[Brainwashed and Crazy|brainwashing]] [[Tyke Bomb|Tykebombs]] into serving as [[Sociopathic Soldier|Sociopathic Soldiers]]--iss—is beyond the pale. Yet he never does anything about it, and continues on his way despite his doubts, convinced that it is too late to turn back now. It's only with the revelation that {{spoiler|he too has been brainwashed}} that he turns around.

* In ''[[The Godfather]] Part II'', when Michael returns from Cuba to be told that his wife had a miscarriage while he was gone, he starts to think about what's happened to his immediate family since he became don and talks to his mother about it, asking whether it's possible to be so focused on the idea of protecting your family that in the meantime, you lose them -- basicallythem—basically spelling out the entire main theme of the three films. But his mother tells him that "you can never lose your family," and he's reassured that he's doing the right thing. {{spoiler|Later in his confrontation with Kay, he tells her he knows they've been growing apart and that she blames him for the miscarriage, but they'll get past it: [[Wrong Genre Savvy|"I've learned that I have the strength to change."]] She tells him how blind he is; that it wasn't a miscarriage but an abortion, because she wouldn't bring another child of his into the world, which enrages him so much he forgets any idea of repairing the damage he's done.}}

* ''[[The Scarlet Letter]]''-- in—in the middle, Roger [[Meaningful Name|Chillingworth]] realizes that his desire for revenge against Rev. Dimmesdale for cuckolding him has turned him into "A fiend!" Hawthorne's narration says that this sort of moral clarity sometimes only occurs to people once in many years. However, Chillingworth's long since lost any purpose in life other than revenge, and so continues down the path.

* ''Sisterhood'' series by [[Fern Michaels]]: Roland Sullivan from ''Lethal Justice'' is the personification of this trope! He started out as a relatively decent guy and family man. Then Arden Gillespie entered into the picture. He became addicted to her, and engaged in [[Your Cheating Heart]]. He helped Arden suck up all the money belonging to an elderly couple, causing this couple to be [[Driven to Suicide]]. Then, to cover up their crime, they frame Sara Whittier (AKA Alexis Thorne), their own employee for it! Sara is found guilty and imprisoned for a year. It is only when they framed Sara that Roland had a [[Heel Realization]]. He made no attempt to make it right. He lost sleep over it, forced Arden to set up some pictures of Sara in their offices (as a reminder of how low they sunk), and tried to spend more time with his family. He and Arden practically blackmail each other. He actually wants to find Sara to apologize to her...and use [[Buy Them Off]] on her. He still uses his ill-gotten gain to live the high life. He still cheats on his wife with Arden. Sure, his internal monologues claim that he has no willpower, but it seems that he just uses that to excuse his behaviour. His wife finds out that he cheated on her, throws him out and makes moves to divorce him. He actually tried to claim that he did all this for his wife and brags that he'll bring in lots of money and they'll all live the high life, but she rejects this, and points out that she never wanted to live any high life. She makes it clear that she knows that he and Arden framed Sara and urges him to do the right thing. He just blows that off. Later, he says to Arden, "I just realized something. You don't have a conscience, do you?" Arden simply retorts that it is too late to worry about something like a conscience. Roland is clearly a [[Horrible Judge of Character]] if he only made this realization at this late date. He makes no attempt to do the right thing or break away from her. He gets involved in another money-stealing scheme with Arden. Sure, he tried to refuse, but he still went and got involved. By the end, he gives off the attitude of a man who wants to get caught and punished. The fact that he has multiple instances of [[Ignored Epiphany]] just makes him very unsympathetic.

** This is a common issue in works based on [[Real Life]]. Authors and audiences want to see deep moral conflicts in the characters, and see them doubting or guilty over the things we feel they should be doubting or guilty over. Of course, the problem is that the real characters may not have felt that at all -- soall—so we get fictionalized versions that show great doubts and agonizing self-evaluation in private, then instantly go back to behaving like it never happened when the story continues to follow reality.

* [http://http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=IJX0GYGn0vU Alestorm - Pirate Song]

* In ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'', this is the [[Planet of Hats|hat]] of the Dark Eldar -- theyEldar—they deliberately continue the nightmarishly hedonistic ways that brought their civilzation to ruin, {{spoiler|primarily because they'll be utterly destroyed if they don't.}}

** In fact, BM is probably past the point where epiphanies have any chance of changing him -- becausehim—because at least once, he ''saw one coming'' and took measures to "protect" himself from it.

** Later on, a {{spoiler|half-dead}} Belkar has a genuine epiphany, as he realizes that being a blatant murderer and psychopath is eventually going to get him killed by one of the genuinely-good guys. This does not convince him to turn away from evil, however -- hehowever—he just realizes {{spoiler|that he has to learn how to ''fake'' being on the same side as the rest of the team. And it works.}}

* Even though [[The Nostalgia Critic]] has a barrel-ton of [[Guilty Pleasure|Guilty Pleasures]]s himself, when it comes to a movie he sees no good in (like the [[Jim Carrey]] remake of ''[[The Grinch]]''), he never fully comprehends how others can like it. In the specific case of the Grinch movie, at the end of his review he contemplates taking a more tolerant, open handed view and saying that if people take pleasure in it or see something in it that he doesn't, then maybe that's what counts... then essentially says "Nah, I'm right, they're wrong!"