The author/character relationship is analogous to the Creator/Creature relationship. The author writes himself into his novel work as himself, the author. This makes Him no less author and no less character. He is, at once, author and character. The author establishes a law against murder, has a character commit murder and also has him hanged for the crime. The character has all of the responsibility for himself but no authority over himself. His responsibility for himself extends from the author's authority over him. This is not an injustice; it is the author revealing his measure of justice. The author establishes a law against murder, has a character commit murder, then writes himself into the novel work as himself, the author, and is hanged in lieu of the murderer. The character has all of the responsibility for himself but no authority over himself. His responsibility for himself extends from the author's authority over him. This is not an injustice; it is the author revealing his measure of mercy. To date, the author/character relationship is the most sovereign/subject relationship I can understand. On the other hand, I am also left to believe that no matter what one thinks of them self, or what one thinks of God, that one is less, and God is more. I look forward to God increasing in my estimation of Him while I decrease in my estimation of myself.
The author/character relationship is also analogous to the Creator/creature relationship in that: The author cannot write a character that writes itself. The author cannot come to know the character's ideas, emotions or volition from the character. The author cannot write a character that chooses from undetermined possibilities. The author cannot subject himself to the will of a character. The author cannot be "fair" with a character. The author can love a character. The author can become a character, but a character cannot become an author.
That's interesting. It kind of lines up with how I view metaphysics, which is as a narrative. This doesn't really provide a mechanism to distinguish the difference between the author and the character, other than to say that there is one and the other. So it leaves a gaping unknown as far as free will is concerned. But I supposed that is solved with there being an author in that the character has no free will. I'm assuming the narrative of self is the character and not the author?
