Melancholy: (n.) 1.Sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom 2.Pensive reflection or meditation 3.archaic a.Black bile, one of the four humors of ancient or medieval physiology b.An emotional state characterized by sullenness and outbreaks of violent anger believed to arise from the bile
We probably could’ve done without the archaic definition, but it served its purpose to demonstrate how the mood was given physiological origin.
Writers and artists in general can be a melancholy bunch. Whether it’s because we must capture the states of minds of many characters, good or bad, moody or virulent, joyful or petulant, or not: who knows? Are we wired for soaking in the emotions of all kinds of experiences and then capitulating them onto page or canvas or structured form?
The beauty of creating with words is the privilege of portraying characters, places, and, yes, moods such as melancholy well enough to create that emotion in the reader. To touch the reader’s emotions and drive them to exactly where we want them to arrive, dropping them off at the corner of that experience, and either leaving them there to fend for themselves along with the characters or causing them to take a breather and regroup before pressing onward with the story: those experiences are the ultimate reward(s)for an author of a story.
Melancholy is especially important because it can be so prominent in stories without hope. Hope can be elusive in all different kinds of stories, but when it’s absent or faint, there will be melancholy as a constant companion to the reader.
One of the “qualifying” objectives in the recent definitions of “Christian Fiction” was the hope factor. The reason for this inclusion is because the very basis of Christianity personifies the hope factor. Now if you’re a Christian living in Somalia your hope factor is most likely centered on heaven not earth. If you’re a Christian who has acquired multi-millions, your hope factor might lie in making sure you’ve been generous with what the Lord has given you. If you’re a 14 year old Christian girl experiencing your first flutter of romance, your hope factor might be attached to a favorable look from the object of your affection. The hope factor covers a lot of emotional real estate no matter who you are, but the real hope factor remains in Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection and cleansing Blood. Without that provision by the God of the universe there really is no hope factor for the human race.
Capturing melancholy in its true emotional content sends a reader to the heart of a matter. It forces us as readers to realize we must live with this state of mind over the course of our lives and shed it before it makes its home with us and evicts us away from hope. While melancholy can also be a time of precious decomposition from our wayward states of mind, it is a guest which must only be allowed to dwell for an apportioned amount of time before being ushered out of its rental space. It’s not a permanent resident but provides a genuine contrast to what we need our reality to be.
Often when we capture the melancholy we are forced to experience it, to remember it, or to accentuate it for a time. Those novels which open with it and close with it forget, or perhaps do not in truth recognize, that hope is as essential to humanity as the pensive contemplations and gloomy aspirations of melancholy. Hope is truthful. Melancholy reflects our fallen humanity.
Father, without you melancholy resides in our souls. Thank you for your deliverance available to all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.