# Which fictional characters do you find yourself identifying/relating with? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024 "2006-08-09T17:20:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/1 "2006-08-09T17:20:52Z")
I don’t have much to offer to answer my own question, because this rarely happens for me; that’s why I’m curious about others’ experiences. I have many favorite characters, but few of them ‘speak’ to me in a way that I feel I directly identify with. I felt a great deal of connection with the little boy in Sixth Sense (no, I don’t see dead people), so he can be my offering. And from books…oh, I don’t know…let’s say Sam Vimes. Hardly lit’rary, but there you have it. Books, movies, TV shows, ballads, folk tales, etc are all valid character sources for the purposes of this question. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/2 "2006-08-09T17:52:52Z")
Charles Wallace Murray, from _A Wrinkle in Time_ and sequels. Ender Wiggins, from _Ender’s Game_. Hermione Granger, from some book or another that I can’t remember ;). Mike Slackenerny, from the comic [Piled Higher and Deeper](http://www.phdcomics.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/3 "2006-08-09T17:56:13Z")
Rooster Cogburn, from _True Grit_. _The Outlaw Josey Wales_ ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/4 "2006-08-09T18:04:11Z")
Daria Menolly from the Harper Hall of Pern trilogy ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/5 "2006-08-09T18:21:00Z")
Xander Harris from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just not as funny or as lucky with women, demon or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/6 "2006-08-09T18:35:05Z")
Eeyore. ---
**Author:** ![Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b782af/32.png) [@Clockwork\_And\_Candy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clockwork_And_Candy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/7 "2006-08-09T18:48:11Z")
Neville Longbottom from the **Harry Potter** series by J.K. Rowling. Bastian Balthazar Bux in **The Neverending Story** written by Michael Ende. Tip from **The Marvelous Land of Oz** by L. Frank Baum And, finally, Xander Harris from **BtVS** , but only in the first series. Yeah, I’m a loser. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/8 "2006-08-09T18:49:56Z")
> [@Clockwork And Candy](#): > > Bastian Balthazar Bux in **The Neverending Story** written by Michael Ende. Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/9 "2006-08-09T19:21:25Z")
The main character in Prep. Her experiences at prep school paralleled mine at college very closely and even her motivations were similar. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/10 "2006-08-09T19:56:51Z")
Philip Carey from W. Somerset Maugham’s _Of Human Bondage_ Larry Underwood from Stephen King’s _The Stand_ …hmm…both of mine are fuckups (in their own way) who ended up making good (in their own way). No shock if you know me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/11 "2006-08-09T19:58:23Z")
Peter Parker, before he became a major babe magnet. ---
**Author:** ![Severiane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@Severiane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Severiane)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/12 "2006-08-09T20:09:16Z")
The narrator in Marcel Proust’s **In search of lost time** , especially when he’s young (that would be vol. 1 and 2) ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/13 "2006-08-09T21:24:21Z")
Wow, someone already mentioned Pern! I was gonna say Sallah Telgar from Dragonsdawn. Or Robinton from the later Pern series. Just sorta…connected with him. Then again, I think it’s because I had a band teacher who reminded me a lot of him, so ignore that one. ~Tasha ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/14 "2006-08-09T22:41:27Z")
James Spader’s character (Graham) in **sex, lies, and videotape**. It was almost like watching _me_. Except the impotence and videotape stuff of course. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/15 "2006-08-09T23:10:20Z")
As a child, I identified with Fern Arable, the little girl in **Charlotte’s Web**. As a teenager, I identified with **The Catcher in the Rye** ’s Holden Caulfield (even though I’m female). In college, I identified with Esther Greenwood, of **The Bell Jar**. As a young adult, I identified with Harriet Vane, who appears in several **Lord Peter Wimsey** novels. Now, in late middle age, I don’t seem to identify with fictional characters. I just don’t find enough in them that reminds me of myself. I’m just me, and they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/16 "2006-08-10T01:39:22Z")
Walter Mitty, if I had to guess. ---
**Author:** ![Selkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Selkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Selkie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/17 "2006-08-10T02:19:40Z")
Jane in _Broadcast News_ is me. It’s spooky. Lately, I’ve been feeling very Michael Bluth. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/18 "2006-08-10T09:02:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Hermione Granger, from some book or another that I can’t remember ;). Ditto. I was that girl–big mouth, big brain, big hair. I’m still pretty much that girl, except I have a better conditioner and I can add big butt to the list. No redheaded boyfriend either, but, really, I think that would just be trying too hard. I imagine there are quite a few Hermione Grangers out there on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/19 "2006-08-10T11:55:49Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Eeyore. Tigger. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024/20 "2006-08-10T13:00:26Z")
Alvy Singer from Annie Hall Charlie Kaufman from adaptation Im basically a short jewish guy 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-fictional-characters-do-you-find-yourself-identifying-relating-with/368024.md?page=2)