Two Characters with Eye Patches?

[AnyaKimlin]

I may have asked this before, but I took a break and have forgotten any responses.


In my YA fantasy there are two characters with eye patches and I am wondering if that is overkill.

Angus
Six-feet-eleven, built like a behemoth, seventeen-year-old king. He injured his eye in a fight at the start of the first novel and at presen there is a scene where his brother's lover gives him an eye-patch in emerald green with a gold falcon on it. (It matches his regalia).

Nate (the brother's lover)
Part Sparrow he injured his eye in his teen years but discovered the patch helped with some of the more difficult aspects of the eyesight he inherited from his bird mother. He has kept them and now they are designed by his father the chief scientist to the King's Secret Service. They assist him in his work as a spy.

 

[Kreil]

I think as a reader I would think that them both having eyepatches was a signifier for some other less obvious link or similarity or connection between them, and maybe a bit nonplussed if none appeared.

But that's only imho.

 

[Kylara]

If the king has a patch them I'm sure any fawners in his court may grab themselves some eyepatches...to gain favour, or make him feel better, or because they think it looks snazzy...even more likely with the king's brother's lover having them too...but it depends on your court really. I'd think there was a link, unless you named them differently or had a moment where they saw each other with eyepatches on and made an amusing comment "You too! haha Stealing my glorious idea!" to laugh it off, or getting angry until realising both actually need them or something if there is no link...but I think as long as you don't introduce both sets of eyepatches at the same time, I would be fine with it...

 

[Phyrebrat]

I would say as a reader I would definitely expect some exposition at some point that draws a link between them both having a patch. If the dad is chief scientist, couldn't it be possible that he designs a more technical spy gadget - like perhaps a monocle or something for the 3rd eye?

pH

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Nate isn't really a fawner - would it be a huge deal if there really was no connection beyond they have scene where Nate gives him the designer patch.

 

[Aminar]

Two characters int he WoT have eye patches(admittedly there are more characters in the WoT than people in my hometown... ) I've never heard a comment on the number of eyepatches though. I doubt anyone would care.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I give WoT a run for its money with character numbers. There was around a 100 in Mayhem but I am in the process of trimming that.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Do the two characters... see eye to eye?

(I'll get my coat)

 

[AnyaKimlin]

LOL Nate is 5ft8ish and Angus is 6ft11 so not very often

 

[Ursa major]

* Wonders what might connect them. *

Are, or were, they perhaps both singular pupils...?

 

[Gary Compton]

Ha harrrr... I'd say shiver me timbers***. Having two, is far better than one. Even though we've two legs between us and one parrot.

Ha harrrr, take their bullion and send their women to heaven, courtesy of a ugly, one eyed, pirate.

What's yours is mine. Once I shoot my cannons into your midst; your bullion is mine. You'll sink to the bottom of the sea and I'll enjoy life on the open waves with your booty and your tooty.

Ha harrrr....

***Gary rings psychiatrist for advice on his personality splitting into two pirates and a hairy bottomed geordie

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

I'm a strong believer in the basic principle of Ockham's Razor. You should always try for the simplest explanation. Therefore I would suggest you scrap one of the characters and have the other wear two eye patches!

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Jammill Khursheed]

Eye patches could end up being your thing... I don't even recognise as a proper character anyone in Star Wars that hasn't had a hand chopped off/chopped someone elses off...

I mean seriously, everybody complained about Han shooting first, nobody complained that roughly 80% of the entire universe had at least one hand cut off...

Luke
Vader (both of them)
'I don't lie you either' Guy in bar
Mace Windu
Grievous
numerous random droids and robots
and i think the shapeshiffting assassin in episode II (PLEASE don't make me watch it again to check though)

Okay so maybe its not 80%, it might only be like 78% really, but I hae a want to exaggerate sometimes

Or instead of an eye-patch the sparrow-guy could have glasses that provide the same effects for spying...

Jammill

 

[AnyaKimlin]

nah if anyone loses the eye patch it will be my MC, Angus. His is the least crucial to his image

 

[Jake Reynolds]

Realistically, eye-patches are very common in certain time periods. Dealing with many more sharp things flying at your eyes as well as lack of medical care and a somewhat barbaric lifestyle meant that problems were solved, not optimised. In an army there might be loads of guys with eye patches/ missing limbs etc, because on the battlefield such things were both inflicted and subsequently dealt with quickly, and therefore brutally (often cauterised to avoid infection).

Often, though glass eyes were invented, they would simply be ridiculous because the area around the eye socket would be so scarred there wasn't any point of going to the expense.

So I think a few eye patches are fine. However, it is a handicap, so all these folks that go swashbuckling about half blind might be pressing their luck. Also, everyone that ever fought them would fight toward their blindside.

 

[Kreil]

Jake Reynolds, every single point you make is excellent, that's a lot to reflect on

I would still argue that only two people having eyepatches would make the reader try to find some significance in it; but it being a commonplace thing would definitely resolve the OP's problem as well as adding some wonderful colour to her story.

 

[Darth Angelus]

I don't see a massive problem with this. However, I think there is some point in this...

I think as a reader I would think that them both having eyepatches was a signifier for some other less obvious link or similarity or connection between them, and maybe a bit nonplussed if none appeared.

But that's only imho.

Jammill Khursheed mentioned an example from the Star Wars saga, people having their hands cut off. I have another example from there, which is a helmet hiding someone's face, creating an impersonal (in a good and appropriate way), mysterious and intimidating aura. This applies to individual antagonists such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett as well as armies like stormtroopers. I will focus on the individuals here, since I think that is most relevant to your question.
Darth Vader and Boba Fett obviously have the common trait of being (very) formidable foes of the heroes, and the intimidating aura the mystery creates fits well into this. In Empire Strikes Back, some past ("work"-related) relationship is implied, as well as a certain amount of mutual respect. However, there are also notable differences. While Darth Vader has (plentiful amounts of) the mysterious supernatural Force, the strengths of Boba Fett come solely from mundane sources like his impressive armour, tools and weapon systems, along with the skills to use them well (at least, that is how most Star Wars fans interpret him), making him a pure badass normal.

You see what I mean? Characters with a superficial physical similarities like that beg for comparison, so I think you would be best off planning the character development accordingly, so that some aspects will rhyme, whereas others are made different for contrast.

If done well, I think this is not only not a problem. It can actually be a very good thing.

Good luck!

 

[Jake Reynolds]

I would still argue that only two people having eyepatches would make the reader try to find some significance in it.

Very good point, but this can be explained away by dialogue. I love the scene in Thank You For Smoking:

Jeff Megall: Sony has a futuristic sci-fi movie they're looking to make.
Nick Naylor: Cigarettes in space?
Jeff Megall: It's the final frontier, Nick.
Nick Naylor: But wouldn't they blow up in an all oxygen environment?
Jeff Megall: Probably. But it's an easy fix. One line of dialogue. 'Thank God we invented the... you know, whatever device.'

 

[stratosaeros]

As far as having two eye-patched characters in the book, I can see the point most people are making about them being connected. However, there is a completely different way you can look at it, that will make a connection without it being direct or obvious. Use the eye patches as a metaphor (possibly the right term) for the two men's personalities.

Have one man with his eye patch on the right eye be the leader. A logical thinker and a brute type personality. Whereas your other character has an eye patch on the left eye, so he is more creative and finds ways out of trick situations. Because they both see the world in a different way.

This theory makes it so that both men can be a main focus without confusing the two characters or needing a direct link.