Welcome back, my literary friends!

Today we are talking about the psychology of character development in part two of our Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs discussion. If you missed the first one, catch up here!

Maslow penned a journal article in 1943 entitled ‘A theory of Human Motivation’. Maslow’s theory beautifully summarises why we connect so deeply with suffering and why as authors it is an excellent tool to aid in character development, as well as plot points for our protagonists or main characters (MC).

When I am stuck for a plot point, or trying to nut out the back story for my protagonists, I often look at the pyramid from two perspectives; fighting to achieve a new tier, or fighting to maintain a tier. There is a third alternative if you are looking for a challenge for your protagonist, which includes removing elements altogether.

Fighting to Achieve

When characters are fighting to achieve a new tier, we often join them mid-story. Let us use the ‘black sheep’ trope as an example. These characters tend to have their physiological and safety needs met, but are ostracised in their families or social environments. The plot point for a black sheep journey might include their search for belongingness and love in a new societal niche. If the author is feeling kind, we may end the story having achieved this and allowing our protagonist to look to achieving the next tier, esteem needs. Perhaps they start their own social group with the goal of supporting other black sheep?

Fighting to Maintain

In this example, characters may find themselves quite securely located in a tier, only to be forced into defending their position. The most common character tropes in this category for me are ‘the popular one’ and ‘the former street rat’. For example, the popular main character must fight to maintain their status as the top dog, for who would they be without their high esteem tier, their sense of prestige and accomplishment? How did they get there? Why is their status-quo being challenged? What does their life look like when they slip down the pyramid?

The street rat sits at the other end of the pyramid - fighting to keep their footing within a safe, secure living situation, at risk of returning to the streets, homeless and hungry. The risk of falling down tiers is highly motivating for ‘former street rats’, for who would want to return to that life? These characters are often shrouded in secrecy, with their fear of falling going hand-in-hand with the fear of losing belongingness and love needs, having lied to loved ones about their ‘true origins’. Why did they lie? What secrets are they keeping?

Kicking out a pillar

If you are feeling really mean, you could consider removing entire pillars of support altogether. This opens the door to many questions about the character’s background, current situation and precarious future.

Example 1: Meet Fred. Fred’s wife just left him and he is now homeless. We have so many questions for Fred. Why did his wife leave? Why is he homeless? How will he find shelter, security, food? Will Fred meet new people to help rebuild the foundations of his pyramid? Will he move forward, or slide backward in a downward spiral?

Example 2: Meet Hayley. Hayley is a ‘loner genius’ who has spent her entire life dedicated to designing a new piece of technology, earning respect and adoration from the scientific community and peers. One day, Hayley’s prototype is stolen and patented, leaving her with nothing to show for her life’s work, and the community support and fame evaporates overnight. Suddenly we see Hayley’s esteem needs shattered, leading us to ask, where will she turn for support and belongingness when the community she relied so heavily upon, disappears? Do we have questions about how the prototype was stolen? Does that bring into question the stability of her safety needs, her sense of security?

Maslow’s hierarchy offers any number of ways to dissect a character’s background, but it also offers a key look into what motivates our characters. Even the most basic google search returns this list as ‘top motivators’:

• Food, shelter, clothing

• School, career, sports, etc.

• Partying, dancing, playing, beach, etc.

• Taste

• Curiosity

• Joy

• Sex

• Drugs

Based on what we know about Maslow’s pyramid, it is fairly easy to categorise most of these, knowing that many are unlikely to be considered achievable if you haven’t already reached certain tiers. For example, someone living within the bottom tier of the pyramid might not be particularly motivated by joy compared to basic food, shelter or clothing. They might however be motivated by drugs. Just as someone who believes they have achieved self-actualisation might also be motivated by drugs, having reached the top tier of the pyramid.

In summary, human kind is a mess. Part of what makes a character relatable, is the messy aspects that they endure. Maslow’s hierarchy is not only useful when determining character backgrounds, but also their individual motivators. Perhaps they are motivated to achieve more? Perhaps they are motivated to maintain their position, having fought to get there. Perhaps their motivators go out the window because the author kicks their foundational pillars out from underneath them?

Wherever you choose to take your characters, if you find yourself stuck for ideas, take a look back at the pyramid. What might change the trajectory of your protagonist if it was challenged, improved or removed entirely?

Are there other character tropes that you think fit? Share them below!

x Anna

P.S Squarespace decided to have a breakdown at the conclusion of this article and I had to re-write it from scratch. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346