--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even good characters have their dark…" description: "\"Even good characters have their dark sides, and I think it is important that women aren't seen as innately good.\" — Gillian Flynn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/gillian-flynn-316_characters_even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sid_3130699.jpg" --- # Even good characters have their dark sides, and I think it… ![“Even good characters have their dark sides, and I think it is important that women aren't seen as innately good.” quote by Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/gillian-flynn-316_characters_even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sid_3130699.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/gillian-flynn-316_characters_even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sid_3130699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/gillian-flynn-316_characters_even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sid_3130699.jpg) > “Even good characters have their dark sides, and I think it is important that women aren't seen as innately good.” [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Female characters should be portrayed with complexity, showing both virtues and flaws. **In simple terms:** Women aren’t just good or bad. Key Takeaway Embrace nuanced portrayals of women. Themes gender complexity representation Mood thoughtful critical Type literary analytical When to use this quote - writing - film adaptation - media criticism Key Concepts feminist literature character depth Questions to Reflect On - How can creators avoid one‑dimensional female roles? - What impact does complexity have on audience perception? A Different Perspective Oversimplified characters can still dominate mainstream narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-dark-425450/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-side/) [Dark Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-sides-1769559/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-characters-714217/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Important Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-women/) [Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seen/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) ## Related quotes > [I like the opportunity to play characters who have these dark sides but make the audience empathize with them. You want them to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-mcmahon/i-like-the-opportunity-to-play-characters-who-have-these-dark-sides/) [Julian McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-mcmahon/) > [Well, that's the great thing about indie film, in general. If it's not subject to the constraints of too much pressure from the studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/well-that-s-the-great-thing-about-indie-film-in-general-if-it-s-not/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [We are not consistent. We have both these dark sides and some light as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-lennox/we-are-not-consistent-we-have-both-these-dark-sides-and-some-light-as/) [Annie Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-lennox/) > [“Cats don’t have dark sides. That’s all a shadow is—and though you might be prejudiced against the dark, you ought to remember that that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/cats-don-t-have-dark-sides-that-s-all-a-shadow-is-and-though-you/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Human beings, we have dark sides; we have dark issues in our lives. To progress anywhere in life, you have to face your demons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-noble/human-beings-we-have-dark-sides-we-have-dark-issues-in-our-lives-to/) [John Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-noble/) > [There's certainly a side of me that isn't completely... sane. Or completely 'even' all the time. We all have our dark sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/there-s-certainly-a-side-of-me-that-isn-t-completely-sane-or/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [If we close our eyes to the dark sides of the workers' State which we have helped to create, we shall never reach socialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/if-we-close-our-eyes-to-the-dark-sides-of-the-workers-state-which-we/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [Photography has no dark sides!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-sander/photography-has-no-dark-sides/) [August Sander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-sander/) > [As we know, one of the dark sides of social media is online harassment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-barnes/as-we-know-one-of-the-dark-sides-of-social-media-is-online-harassment/) [Harrison Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-barnes/) > [Dark sides are important. They should be nurtured like nasty black orchids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/dark-sides-are-important-they-should-be-nurtured-like-nasty-black/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Good characters are rare. As long as I find one or two a year, I'm happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludivine-sagnier/good-characters-are-rare-as-long-as-i-find-one-or-two-a-year-i-m-happy/) [Ludivine Sagnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludivine-sagnier/) > [There are good characters and bad characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-stone/there-are-good-characters-and-bad-characters/) [Matt Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-stone/) > [Everyone relates to the heroes - that's why they're the heroes. But I've realized there are just more layers to characters who have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-plummer/everyone-relates-to-the-heroes-that-s-why-they-re-the-heroes-but-i-ve/) [Charlie Plummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-plummer/) > [It's never easy with characters in these dark and grave circumstances but that's my job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-clarkson/it-s-never-easy-with-characters-in-these-dark-and-grave-circumstances/) [Patricia Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-clarkson/) > [I think there's a dishonorable tradition in Hollywood to give the idea, particularly to children, that evil characters are dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/i-think-there-s-a-dishonorable-tradition-in-hollywood-to-give-the/) [Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/) ## More by Gillian Flynn > [“Our kind of love can go into remission, but it's always waiting to return. Like the world sweetest cancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/our-kind-of-love-can-go-into-remission-but-it-s-always-waiting-to/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [The midwest is great because it hasn't been entirely claimed. There's more room to write about it; it's harder to write about New York,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/the-midwest-is-great-because-it-hasn-t-been-entirely-claimed-there-s/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“Sometimes it is all too loud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/sometimes-it-is-all-too-loud/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“My thank-yous always come out rather labored. I often don't give them at all. People do what they're supposed to do and then wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/my-thank-yous-always-come-out-rather-labored-i-often-don-t-give-them/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/there-s-something-disturbing-about-recalling-a-warm-memory-and/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“My life has begun to feel like an epilogue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/my-life-has-begun-to-feel-like-an-epilogue/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“The Victorians, especially southern Victorians, needed a lot of room to stray away from each other, to duck tuberculosis and flu, to avoid rapacious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/the-victorians-especially-southern-victorians-needed-a-lot-of-room-to/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“You think: Oh, here is the rest of my life. It’s finally arrived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/you-think-oh-here-is-the-rest-of-my-life-it-s-finally-arrived/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [What a generous thing that is, I realize, for a husband to try to make his wife laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/what-a-generous-thing-that-is-i-realize-for-a-husband-to-try-to-make/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [I am a great believer in jobs for teens. They teach important life lessons, build character, and inflict just the right amount of humiliation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/i-am-a-great-believer-in-jobs-for-teens-they-teach-important-life/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“you'd literally lie, cheat, and steal -hell, kill- to convince people you are a good guy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/you-d-literally-lie-cheat-and-steal-hell-kill-to-convince-people-you/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [My imagination is more tweaked by imagining the lives of the people who were there before us. I don't need to give myself the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/my-imagination-is-more-tweaked-by-imagining-the-lives-of-the-people/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“Given my druthers now, I’d prefer a snapshot of Warren Harding’s wife, “the Duchess,” who recorded the smallest offenses in a little red notebook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/given-my-druthers-now-i-d-prefer-a-snapshot-of-warren-harding-s-wife/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [A town so suffocating and small, you tripped over people you hated every day. People who knew things about you. It's the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/a-town-so-suffocating-and-small-you-tripped-over-people-you-hated/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [“For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men - friends, coworkers, strangers - giddy over these awful pretender women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/for-a-long-time-cool-girl-offended-me-i-used-to-see-men-friends/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) [Explore all 668 Gillian Flynn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) ## More Characters quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I have played several characters that are crabby and cranky. I don't know if I'm just not a very well-developed human being or if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/i-have-played-several-characters-that-are-crabby-and-cranky-i-don-t/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) > [You do get fond of your characters. Handing them on is like giving a child to a nanny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/you-do-get-fond-of-your-characters-handing-them-on-is-like-giving-a/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [Your job as a writer is to find storylines, narrative structures, and characters to show the things that you believe rather than saying them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/your-job-as-a-writer-is-to-find-storylines-narrative-structures-and/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I really like all of the characters in 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, especially Camilla, the one girl. I find her fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-murray/i-really-like-all-of-the-characters-in-the-secret-history-by-donna/) [Hannah Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-murray/) > [I've just always loved really good projects. 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I always wanted to be all these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-fireman-a-cop-an-indian-chief-a-doctor-a/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) [Browse all 3,066 Characters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Even good characters have their dark sides, and I think it is important that women aren't seen as innately good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gillian Flynn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sides-and-i-think-it-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sides-and-i-think-it-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/gillian-flynn-316_characters_even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sid_3130699.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/gillian-flynn-316_characters_even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sid_3130699.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/gillian-flynn-316_characters_even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sid_3130699.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Even good characters have their dark sides, and I think it is important that women aren't seen as innately…” — Gillian Flynn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gillian Flynn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Even good characters have their dark...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sides-and-i-think-it-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/even-good-characters-have-their-dark-sides-and-i-think-it-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```