Fate in Literature: Film and Fiction Compared

Introduction: Defining Fate in Literature

Stories — whether presented in film, print, or oral tradition — share important commonalities. One of the most significant shared elements in stories that have persisted for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years is the role of fate. Fate in literature can be broadly defined as the power, influence, or will of a superior or supernatural force that stages and predetermines events in the journey of a story's main character.

A classic example is the tragedy of Oedipus Rex, the infamous tale of a king who desperately seeks to outrun, challenge, and contradict fate, yet is unable to do so because the supernatural forces above him — the Gods — have predetermined and staged inevitable events in his life. Fate is a compelling topic to explore in relation to storytelling because it challenges the notion of free will. This is important because in many adventures or epics, free will is closely associated with concepts of uncertainty and adventure, both of which generate excitement. If fate is inevitable, it diminishes the excitement of a story by removing meaning and value from the decisions characters make.

On the other hand, fate can also be considered a blessing or a source of comfort, because both readers and characters can release themselves from guilt and disappointment by placing responsibility for the final outcome on supernatural forces beyond their control. Analyzing fate in literature requires accepting that there are forces beyond any character's control. It can be compared to a puppet show, where a puppeteer controls all the characters while simultaneously providing the audience with the illusion that those characters possess free will.

In earlier works of literature, especially those of ancient Greek origin, the supernatural forces that determine fate are easy to identify. The same can be said for Medieval and Renaissance literature, which was heavily influenced by Christianity; in both periods, God appears as the determining supernatural force behind fate. In more contemporary and modern forms of literature — including film — the factors behind fate are more diversified and complex. Beginning primarily in the Victorian Era, social and cultural issues came to the forefront of literary exploration, and less emphasis was placed on supernatural or spiritual forces. Instead, social, economic, cultural, and governmental systems became the determining forces of fate.

Spiritual and Political Fate in The Mission

Fate plays itself out in a curious manner in the 1986 film The Mission, directed by Roland Joffé. Fate plays an important role in this film because it determines the destiny of the characters and ultimately the outcome of the story. As noted above, when a story is set in an earlier era such as the 1700s, Christianity is likely the force that determines a character's fate. The setting of The Mission is sufficiently historical to be shaped by spiritual forces, yet contemporary enough to be touched by cultural, political, and social factors as well. Ultimately, fate in the film is determined by a combination of strong spiritual, political, and social forces, each of which claims its part in sealing the characters' destinies.

Consider the character of Rodrigo Mendoza. At the beginning of the film he is an evil, inconsiderate, murderous slave trader who shows no mercy for the indigenous people and operates entirely without a conscience. Conventional wisdom — as well as literary and film history — suggests that his fate will likely be a terrible one. The film is strongly influenced by the philosophy of Christianity, which broadly holds that if you sin you will be punished, but if you repent you will be redeemed. Yet contemporary film also tells us that a character's spiritual state or good deeds do not always determine his ultimate fate. Both of these notions are proven true through Rodrigo Mendoza.

Mendoza's evil nature begins to change when he discovers an affair between his brother Felipe and his intended wife Carlotta. Enraged, he kills his own brother in a duel, after which he spirals into depression and conducts himself as though he understands that his past evil deeds have sealed his fate. God, however, has other plans. The will of God is manifested through the intervention of Father Gabriel, who encourages Rodrigo to repent and perform a penance. Rodrigo agrees; his penance consists of accompanying Father Gabriel to the mission while carrying a heavy bundle as he scales the Iguazu Falls. He struggles through the burdensome journey, and in the end he is relieved of the weight he carried — both physically and spiritually — when one of the Guaraní tribespeople cuts the bundle from his back. This symbolizes that God had determined his spiritual fate: despite his great transgressions against the Guaraní and his grave sin of fratricide, he would be redeemed.

At the end of the film, however, a second force — the political — determines the physical aspect of his fate. The political powers involved, though not supernatural, are nevertheless formidable; they kill Rodrigo as he tries to defend the mission. His fate was decided in advance: he had operated at the extreme end of the spectrum both spiritually and politically, and the forces that shaped his destiny chose his outcome without regard to his free will or to the full complexity of his actions throughout the film.

Conclusion: Free Will Versus Predetermined Destiny

If Okonkwo had taken the approach of being humble, simplistic, and introverted, it is very unlikely that his fate would have been any different, because it was already determined by forces beyond his control. In the end, his fate was determined in the same way as Tsotsi's and Rodrigo's. Three entirely different characters, in three entirely different stories, each chose to challenge fate by exercising free will — and each was unable to prevail because the supernatural and superior forces at work in their respective stories had other plans for them. Whether those forces take the form of divine will, social and economic deprivation, or cultural expectation, the outcome is the same: fate, not free will, determines the final destiny of the protagonist.

Works Cited

Bangert, Andrea. "Epictetus and Oedipus." Diss. UCSC, 2001. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.

Bloom, Harold. Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. New York: Chelsea House, 2007. Print.

Booker, M. Keith. Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. Pasadena, CA: Salem, 2011. Print.

"Defining Fate." Fate. Princeton University, 15 Sept. 2003. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.

The Mission. Dir. Roland Joffé. Perf. Robert De Niro. Warner Brothers, 1986. DVD.

Tsotsi. Dir. Gavin Hood. Perf. Presley Chweneyagae. Miramax Films, 2005. DVD.