Tag: character motivation

What does Forrest Gump want?

Which of the 16 desires motivates Forrest Gump? The first thing that comes to mind is he likes running, chocolate, and ice cream. Does that fit into the 16 desires? I think it might!

Forrest starts life with a back as ‘crooked as a politician’ and sports leg braces through elementary school. He’s ridiculed for being mentally slow, but Forrest can outrun bullies on their bikes when he kicks off his shackles.

“Now, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. But I can run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was going somewhere, I was running!”

The bullies chase Forrest throughout high school, switching out bikes for trucks, but by the time Forrest is nearing graduation, he is a world-class runner. This is his ticket to college football with a full-ride scholarship. He even becomes an All-American and eventually a world-class ping pong player. But we are looking at ability. Forrest is a gifted athlete. Maybe even superhuman. But people may like sports for the friends they make or the competition, but Forrest likes physical activity for its own sake.

“I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason, I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I’d gone this far, I might as well turn around just keep on going.”

Reporters ask him, “Sir, why are you running?” They ask if he is doing it for world peace, women’s rights, the environment, animals, or nuclear arms.

But that wasn’t Forrest’s motivation. “They just couldn’t believe that somebody would do all that running for no particular reason.” But his answer was, “I just felt like running.”

So, what else motivates Forrest Gump? Maybe the next clue is in another of the film’s famous lines, “Life is like a box of chocolate.” Does food motivate Forrest? He remembers meeting the president, but the real treat of that trip was all the free Dr. Pepper! Forrest offers Lieutenant Dan ice cream. And he and Bubba bond over shrimp! Forrest even starts the shrimping company in Bubba’s name. He is also excited to invest in the fruit company Apple.

So, eating might be on his list. What else? We can look at Forrest’s dedication to Bubba after his death. Is Forrest honorable? He respects his mother but doesn’t understand or follow local traditions. He’s not interested in social hierarchy, power, or vengeance. In fact, the only times Forrest gets violent is when defending his friends. He beats up several of Jenny’s abusive boyfriends and carries his whole unit to safety in Vietnam. What about social contact? Is Forrest motivated by his friends? I think he is.

He may not be smart, and he may misunderstand situations, but Forrest loves being with his friends. Throughout the movie, he has three close friends: Jenny, Bubba, and Lieutenant Dan. He meets Jenny and Bubba on a bus. When everyone else rejects him, saying, “Seat’s taken,” Jenny and Bubba invite him to share their seat, saying, “You can sit here if you want to.” Forrest is constantly rejected and bullied, but does he want to be accepted? I don’t think that is his motivation. Instead, he wants companionship.

Forrest and his friends protect one another. Jenny tells Forrest to run away from danger, and Forrest attacks her abusive boyfriends. Forrest saves Bubba and Lieutenant Dan, and Lieutenant Dan kicks the drunk girls out of his New Year’s party for calling Forrest Stupid.

So here is my guess for Forrest Gump’s motivations:

  • Physical Activity (Exercise, Active, Moving)
  • Social Contact (Friendship, Companions, Group play)
  • Eating (Food, thinking about food and planning meals)

And while we are here, let’s guess what motivates Forrest’s best friends.

I think Jenny is motivated primarily by acceptance because she always wants to fit into social trends, whether playing guitar or doing drugs. I think she values her own independence because she is fiercely self-reliant. That behavior may come from her abusive childhood, but she has a chance to stay with Forrest when he gets her pregnant, and she chooses to leave and live on her own, leaving him and his gazillion dollars behind. I think where Forrest wants a friend, Jenny wants someone who will accept her. Romance may be another of her motivations. She’s entranced by art and appearance, always fitting in with the times. She could also be an idealist, but I think most of that is a cover to be accepted by the cool crowd of her day.

So here are my guesses for Jenny’s motivations:

  • Acceptance (Attention, Approval, Inclusion)
  • Independence (Freedom, Self Reliance, Determination)
  • Romance (Beauty, Art, Attraction)

For Bubba, Eating is his primary motivation. He can talk for days about food. We don’t see as much of Bubba in the film, but my second guess would be social contact. He is happy to have Forrest as a friend. As for a third motivation, I am not sure. Maybe even the second motivation is weak since we don’t get to know Bubba that well.

So my guesses for Bubba’s motivations are:

  • Eating (Food, thinking about food, and planning meals)
  • Social Contact (Friendship, Companions, Group play)

Lieutenant Dan’s primary motivation is Honor. Forrest tells us that Dan “was from a long, great military tradition. Somebody in his family fought and died in every single American war.” And Dan had every intention of honoring that tradition. If not for Forrest, Lt. Dan would have died in the field, which is exactly what he wanted. But Forrest saved him. One night, in the hospital in Vietnam, Dan pulls Forrest to the ground and accuses him of dishonoring him.

“You cheated me. I had a destiny. I was supposed to die in the field! With honor!
That was my destiny! And you cheated me out of it! You understand what I’m saying, Gump? This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not to me. I had a destiny. I was Lieutenant Dan Tyler.”

Dan sarcastically promises Forrest that he will be his first mate if he starts a shrimping company. And Dan honors that promise. Even his protecting Forrest might be because he owes Forrest his life. My guess for his second motivation is Vengeance, which mostly comes from the Hurricane Andrew scene when he curses at the sky. This one isn’t as strong as his motivation for Honor. Now that I think about it, Honor still covers Dan here. Dan feels dishonored and wants to die, just like he did in the field.

So I take it back. I think Lt. Dan is motivated by the following:

  • Honor (Integrity, Loyalty, Trust, Tradition)

Dan’s motivation for honor is so all-encompassing it makes him a force of nature. Losing his legs is such a deep blow that it might give him enough dimension without secondary motivations. We don’t get to know Dan on a personal level until after Forrest saves him. Dan has lost the honor he wanted and has to come to peace with himself, Forrest, and God.

The characters in Forrest’s have significant flaws. Jenny was abused. Lt. Dan lost his unit and his legs. Bubba wasn’t much smarter than Forrest. And Forrest knows he is not a smart man. Forrest hates being called stupid and cries in relief when he finds out his son is one of the “smartest in his class.” Forrest’s lack of intelligence is a weakness but does not determine his motivations or personality. Forrest wants physical activity, friends, and food. And I think examining his friends rounds out Forrest’s world.

Interestingly, while we know Forrest well and can carefully pick out his motivations, the secondary characters present more of a challenge. I’d be pushing too far by demanding that Bubba or Lt. Dan have three unique motivations. They do not seem to.

Maybe we’d get to know them better if we had more time with them in the film. But they are memorable characters who significantly impact Forrest and us. And the motivations they do have are so clear they are almost archetypal in their presence. Dan’s talk about Honor and Bubba’s talk about shrimp are legendary. So maybe if you have a side character who needs to leave a serious impact on the audience, pick one motivation and turn it up to eleven.

What does Elon Musk want?

Our desires run so deep that we usually say precisely what we want. But we are often so focused on our desires that we cannot hear others or, even worse, do not believe them.

It might be presumptuous to play this game of what do they want with living people, but we usually leave hints. Sometimes it does not take much guessing because people often tell us what they want. This might be easier than analyzing the shark from jaws or Batman, both of whom surprised me with their motivations.

So, using Steven Reiss’ 16 desires, let’s guess which desires motivate Elon Musk. Let’s start by digging up some quotes.

As a child, I would just question things.

Elon Musk

I say we trust Elon in this. He is inspired (and motivated) by curiosity. Fortunately for us, curiosity is one of the 16 desires, making guessing this desire easy!

Curiosity is the desire to Explore, Analyze, and Discuss. One of the most exciting things about the 16 desires is that there is no other motivation behind these desires; the desire IS the motivation! Someone who wants to explore and analyze is not doing it for an ulterior reason; the exploration and analysis are the rewards. I can talk emphatically about curiosity because it is one of my desires. Curiosity, after all, is the main reason I play this game.

Chances are, whatever your top desires are, you probably spend most of your time feeding them. Then, in your spare time, you probably try to figure out tools or plan time to get more of your desires.

With curiosity locked in for Elon, let’s guess what desires could be next. My guess is family is on his list of motivations too. He frequently talks about his children and his concerns that the world is not having enough children. It is not just that he has ten children (and counting).

  • Family (Nurturing, raising offspring)

Elon reports that “Almost all of my nonwork waking hours are spent with my boys, and they are the love of my life.”

And he enthusiastically encourages having children as well.

It is also reported that Musk said, “My children didn’t choose to be born; I chose to have children. They owe me nothing; I owe them everything.” It’s an excellent quote, but unfortunately, I have been unable to track down the source, even if I found motivational posters for sale. If I find the original, I’ll update it with a link.

Family might be slightly more critical to Elon than Curiosity. They are both his desires, but the zeal he throws behind family and nurturing children makes me think family is his primary desire.

If you can figure out someone’s top three desires, you have a good idea of what motivates them. I am going to guess on this third one. It might be wrong, but I’m going for it anyway. I think Elon’s third desire is acceptance.

Why? Because he loves attention. As one of Twitter’s top users and now its owner, he seems to bask in attention, whether good or bad. It is still attention, after all. When you think of wealthy individuals, dancing for crowds and striking goofy poses is not the first thing that comes to mind. But you can’t stop Elon from getting attention.

So here are my guesses for the top three things that motivate Elon Musk, in order:

  • Family (Nurturing, raising offspring)
  • Curiosity (Explore, Analyze, Discuss)
  • Acceptance (Attention, Approval, Inclusion)

Remember, the desires themselves are not good or bad. It is just who we are. Our desires form the base of our personality, and Steven Reiss’ research identified 16 things we can want. You might like someone because you want the same things, while someone you can’t understand or dislike might be motivated by something you do not care for.

Love him or hate him, Elon catches people’s attention, and maybe that attention motivates him.

What Elon “Wants”

What does Disney’s Hercules want?

Disney characters are famous for putting their wants to songs. This is quite convenient for our next game of What Do They Want? Featuring the muscled demigod himself, Hercules. For more on the 16 desires, check my pinned post on the right.

Hercules features the song “Go the Distance” by Michael Bolton to tell the audience what he wants.

The Michael Bolton version is pretty good

Disney’s Hercules’s primary motivation is acceptance. He wants adoration and attention, something he does not get on the rural family farm. It is a burning hole in his life. He wants crowds to cheer for him and feel he finally belongs somewhere. Hercules sings:

Where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face, and a voice keep’s saying this is where I’m meant to be.

I will go most anywhere to feel like I belong.

… I will search the world, I will face its harms ‘Till I find my hero’s welcome waiting in your arms…

Hercules even gets action figures!

The desire for Acceptance (Attention, Approval, Inclusion) depends on others, so Hercules needs an audience. He picks Thebes as his target, but the people there are not easily impressed. They are a tough crowd and Hercules must perform some monumental tasks to get their attention. So while he wants acceptance, he needs a way to get their approval, which brings us to his next desire.

I think Herc’s next motivator is Physical Activity. As a son of Zeus, Hercules is blessed with great natural strength, but that is not enough to be a hero. In his world, many demi-god relatives have failed to become heroes. So Hercules has to train like crazy, probably for years, to hone his physical strength. He knows it will be a physical struggle to become a hero, but he can do it because gaining physical strength is its own reward. While the mythical Hercules is known for his powerlifter-like abilities, the Disney version sees his journey as a long uphill battle to get what he wants. He sings:

I’ll find my way, if I can be strong. I know every mile would be worth my while.

It’s an uphill slope, But I won’t lose hope, ’till I go the distance and my journey is complete.

Hercules loves training and working out, which puts him ahead of previous heroes Coach Phil trained, who relied on their demi-god blood to carry them. Hercules will put in more training than anyone else. And the adoration he gets from his bulging muscles and feats feeds into his desire for acceptance. After he becomes a hero, crowds stop by just to see him flex. Even Pegasus likes to headbutt Hercules, making them great sparring partners and friends.

Gotta work out, gotta get pumped!

I think Hercules’ third desire is for honor. I am unsure about this one, but this is a guessing game, so I am hazarding a guess.

When Herc’s adoptive parents explain they found him wearing an Olympian medallion and that they are not his biological parents, Hercules knows he must go on a journey to find his true identity and the origin of the medallion. But he only does so with his adoptive parent’s approval, telling them, “This is it! Don’t you see? Maybe they have the answers! I’ll go to the temple of Zeus and– Ma, Pop, you’re the greatest parents anyone could have, but.. I-I gotta know.”

Hercules is the opposite of a rebel, and when he makes it big, he buys his parents a house in the big city. Hercules also honors his biological god-parents, immediately jumping to their side. He even saves the gods from the titans in the end because he is loyal to the Olympians. Hercules is incredibly loyal, follows the tradition of his real parents and adoptive parents, and works hard to earn the trust of Thebes, Meg, and those around him. While there is an idea that many heroes are orphans, Hercules has two sets of adoring parents!

So here are my guesses for Hercules’ primary desires:

  • Acceptance (Attention, Approval, Inclusion)
  • Physical Activity (Exercise, Active, Moving)
  • Honor (Integrity, Loyalty, Trust, Tradition)

And we even have a song about Hercules getting the adoration he wants, Zero to Hero.

Hercules achieves his primary two desires fairly early in the movie. He has all the attention he always wanted and is as physically fit as possible. But his honor is not fulfilled until he saves the Olympians and Meg from Hades. I think this shows why having multiple desires round out a character. If Hercules had only two desires, he would be satisfied before the story begins. But Herc’s loyalty takes us through the rest of the film.

I don’t think the desire for acceptance ever goes away, as eventually, Hercules becomes a god and is accepted back home with the Olympians. But at that point, he has fallen in love with the mortal Meg and asks to stay with her, his adoptive parents, and the people of Thebes. Accepted by mortals and immortals alike, Hercules goes the distance and completes his journey.

Sing it, ladies!

Money in Story, is there any escape from cold hard cash?

Is story all about money? Even when there is not a bag of money to motivate the characters, are we dealing with wealthy characters? Are movies secretly about the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? Characters can quickly become wealthy and barely notice it, like Harry Potter, who went from sleeping in a closet under the stairs to inheriting a mountain of gold at Gringotts in chapter 5 of the first book.

Let’s take a look at IMDB’s top 25 rated movies to see. It’s not a fair sampling of all stories, but it might be enough to run a simple test.

Hello, yes? Money speaking.
  1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994): Andy Dupree withdraws $370,000 of laundered money in 1966, or about $3.3 million today.
  2. The Godfather (1972): The Corleone family is worth a billion, possibly more. We don’t see stacks of money lying around, but killing off your competitors for the family has a solid profit margin.
  3. The Dark Knight (2008), Bruce Wayne is the quintessential billionaire worth an estimated $50 billion.
  4. The Godfather Part II (1974): The billionaire Corleone family again.
  5. 12 Angry Men (1957): Unknown. Juror #4 seems to be a man of wealth and position, but we do not know most of the jurors’ names, let alone their income.
  6. Schindler’s List (1993): Oskar Schindler, a wealthy German industrialist and entrepreneur is a millionaire who uses his fortune to save Jews during WW2.
  7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003): Aragorn, crowned as High King Elessar, reunites Arnor’s and Gondor’s kingdoms. While his net worth may be difficult to judge, there would be few in middle earth with more power and resources.
  8. Pulp Fiction (1994) Crimelord Marsellus Wallace is a millionaire with influence from the world of boxing to drugs and smuggling.
  9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Bilbo is the wealthiest hobbit in all the Shire. The Mithril armor he gifts Frodo is worth more than the whole Shire combined. Estimated fantasy armor millionaire.
  10. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966) Blondie walks away with 200,000 gold dollars, or about 16.5 million in today’s currency.
  11. Forrest Gump (1994) Forrest Gump is a billionaire and possibly a gozillionaire thanks to Bubba Gump Shrimp and Hurricane Andrew.
  12. Fight Club (1999): Tyler Durden may not be wealthy, but he destroys all the credit card records worth, gifting debt holders $480 billion in 1999 or $887 billion today. Project Mayhem is all about debt and money.
  13. Inception (2010): Fischer and Saito are billionaires keeping the dream alive.
  14. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) I am going with Galadriel this time, who surpasses all other elves in beauty, knowledge, and power. Not all about money, but she did get one of the three elf rings of power.
  15. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – Lando might be the wealthiest member of this film; he owns Cloud City and lives in luxury. Estimated Cloud City millionaire, but Vader definitely is more powerful. Leia probably lost much of her wealth when Alderan blew up, otherwise, she would top the list.
  16. The Matrix (1999) – This is not all about money because the world is a simulation. It’s hard to worry about money when humans are batteries, and you eat amino goop for every meal.
  17. Goodfellas (1990) – When you measure money by inches, not amount, it just might be about the money. Henry’s biggest frustration in leaving organized crime is he’s just an average nobody, like everyone else.
  18. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – There are no millions here, but gambling, betting, and games like Monopoly make appearances teaching inmates about their agency. Not about the money, but money makes some great arguments here.
  19. Se7en (1995) – John Doe targets his second victim, wealthy and amoral attorney Eli Gould, for his sin of greed. Not sure about the amount, but Gould has lots of ill-gotten money.
  20. Seven Samurai (1954): Poor farmers look for impoverished Samurai who will take rice as their payment for defending the village from bandits. No millionaires here, but rice motivates everything in this Japanese period epic.
  21. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Mr. Potter is the wealthiest and meanest man in Bedford Falls and owns most businesses, including the Bank. He offers George a $20K salary in 1936, more than $350K today. Definitely a millionaire, possibly a billionaire.
  22. The Silence of the Lambs (1991): The most influential person is probably Senator Ruth Martin. Buffalo Bill has the FBI after him because he kidnapped the Senator’s daughter. Dr. Lector was wealthy, but I have difficulty putting money first in this psychological thriller.
  23. City of God (2002) – Drug lords fighting for control in a Brazilian favela. I’m not sure about the exchange rate, but the crime war involves most of the drug money in town.
  24. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Not much money here, just world war two combat up close and personal.
  25. Life is Beautiful (1997) – Another world war two film focused on the Holocaust. Hard to say this one is about money even if the family wins a tank in the end.

Well, it’s hard for me to count this one clearly, especially where we have Middle Earth, the Star Wars universe, and the postapocalyptic world of the Matrix to calculate finances. But even in those fantasy worlds, we often deal with their wealthiest and most powerful characters. Morpheus owns a sweet hovercraft!

By my count, 18 have millionaires, billionaires, kings, senators, and drug lords. And why shouldn’t they? Money is a major motivator in our lives, why should fictional characters be different? And even when the characters have nothing but the rice they grow themselves, it is a major focus of the movie. You don’t have to have many resources to find motivation.

So is there an escape from money in stories? Yes! But the authors probably have to kill characters to make it happen.

Speaking of death, murders, and war, how many of those movies don’t have violent death? None of them.

I thought It’s a Wonderful Life came the closest, except it has a montage of World War Two where Navy fighter pilot Ace Harry Bailey shoots down 15 enemy planes. Joe Baley prepares for suicide to collect life insurance money. Inception deaths besides Mal’s suicide are dream projections, but we still get plenty of murder and mayhem on screen.

Maybe money as a motivator is the safer option in the end.

To stack bills, bodies, or both?

What are the Desires of Life and the Motivations of Age?

Someone who wants physical activity will always want to move more than their generational peers.

Our desires and motivations seem to be fixed as the base of our personality. But we navigate through a complex ocean of motivations and desires throughout life. Groups have their desires, whether a family, a set of friends, a small town, a culture, a country, or a civilization. Age also seems to have its desires. There are phases of life. Playing with friends as a child is different from a company party or a cruise.

So while someone who desires family will always want to nurture more than their peers of similar age, there is a time in life when nurturing children is essential for the survival of the human race. Throughout life, we get to experience hints of these other desires. Age has a significant impact on our desires and Reiss often describes the 16 desires ‘compared with other people your age’.

So the following is a list of Steven Reiss’ 16 Desires ordered by how I think they manifest throughout an average human life.

Eating (Food, thinking about food, and planning meals) – Babies usually tell you when they are hungry.

Physical Activity (Exercise, Active, Moving) – Keeping up with kids can be challenging for adults. I’ve seen toddlers leave their parents gasping for air.

Tranquility (Preparation, Comfort, Calm) – Safety blankets, plushies, and nightlights. Life as a small child can be scary, and managing those fears requires focus and attention to detail.

Curiosity (Explore, Analyze, Discuss) – Kids ask questions. Lots of questions. The world is big, and there is a lot to figure out.

Social Contact (Friendship, Companions, Group play) – Playing is essential to childhood development; kids often want to play. We even put it as part of their school day with recess.

Acceptance (Attention, Approval, Inclusion) – Getting attention and being included in a group becomes important as groups get larger. Where before you played with anyone in preschool and kindergarten, groups might accept or shun you as you get a little older. If I had to guess, this would feel like early elementary school, first or second grade.

Social Status (Exclusivity, Connection, Reputation) – Gossip, slander, cliques, fashions, clubs, and awards. Having the right brands of clothing, backpack, and, I’m guessing, cell phones these days. In my day, it was the Trapper Keeper. This feels like late elementary school into junior high. I still remember girls in my class planning an elaborate scheme on how to shun a new girl from their table at lunch in elementary school.

Romance (Beauty, Art, Attraction) – Join a band to attract girls, put on some makeup to attract the guys, and go to awkward dances as boys and girls notice each other. When hormones hit, they hit hard.

Vengeance (Compete, Retaliate, Defeat, come from behind) – High school sports, debate clubs, chess clubs, love triangles, honor lists. Athletes are usually young, but how many people still play their high school sports later in life?

Independence (Freedom, Self Reliance, Determination) Leaving home and setting out on your own for the first time. Society puts this at 18 in the united states, where you are legally independent, at least mostly.

Idealism (Belief, sacrifice, Justice, and making things right) Join a cause, protest, and change the world. This feels like the early twenties.

Family (Nurturing, raising offspring) – Time to raise your children and ask the grandparents for tips and tricks to keep these kids alive. Marriage ages vary throughout time, but on average, it is safe to guess the twenties.

Saving (Collecting, Preserving, Valuing) Tough times ahead, better prepare, especially with little ones back home. Maybe it means working through school, living frugally to save for a home, or starting that power tool collection.

Order (Organize, Plan, Clean) – Trim the yard, organize the garage, plan activities, and move a family from place to place. Trips to the hardware store to repair and Ikea to organize.

Power (Domination, Control, Authority) – Power seems to come with time. Look at the age of the leaders in many organizations. If you are outside of Silicon Valley, there is a good chance they have some grey hair.

Honor (Integrity, Loyalty, Trust, Tradition) – Time to look back and preserve everything your generation and family worked for. Traditions should be upheld and passed on to future generations by their elders.

At least, that is my guess for how the desires manifest through age. As I said earlier, this does not change our individual desires. Some toddlers want honor, and there are idealistic senior citizens. And this might be particular to my culture as an American. But I think you can feel the pull of different desires as the years pass and you observe other generations.

The circle of life!

What does Ariel from the Little Mermaid want?

In my last game of what do they want, I did Bruce the Shark from Jaws. Let’s stick under the sea with this next round with Ariel from Disney’s 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid.

Ariel loves saving and collecting things from the surface world, saying, “I just don’t see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad!”

Ariel is so focused on saving that it makes up the first three verses of her “I want” song, Part of Your World.

Look at this stuff
Isn’t it neat?
Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?
Wouldn’t you think I’m the girl
The girl who has everything?

Look at this trove
Treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here you’d think
Sure, she’s got everything

I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I’ve got whozits and whatzits galore
You want thingamabobs?
I’ve got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more!

Ariel is a legendary collector. Besides the items she sings about here, Ariel also has a dinglehopper and a snarfblatt. I don’t know if she has many collecting rivals in the Disney animated universe. In the Marvel universe, they have someone called ‘The Collector,’ but if Ariel’s story took her past her teenage years, she might give him a run for his money. It is safe to say saving is one of her primary motivators.

Ariel is also fiercely curious. She studies humans constantly, learning what they do, how they behave, and thinks about them non-stop. Ariel is not correct in her assumptions, as a seagull is the best informant she has about how humans live. But she wants to live with humans and learn their language to ask questions and explore.

And ready to know what the people know
Ask ’em my questions and get some answers
What’s a fire and why does it, what’s the word?
Burn?

When’s it my turn?
Wouldn’t I love, love to explore that shore up above?

When she makes it to the surface, she learns to walk, run, and how to follow human customs. She dances and rides horses, all in the three days she has to woo Prince Eric.

This brings us to her next desire, Romance. Ariel’s goal in the film is courting. She must make Eric fall in love with her in three days, or she will turn back into a mermaid owned by Ursula. Fortunately, Eric is already in love with her voice after she saves him from drowning in a storm.

While most Disney princesses can sing, it is Ariel’s prized ability and gift. She is the best singer in the undersea kingdom of Atlantica. That is why Ursula wants her voice. It is Ariel’s most prized possession, and how Eric would recognize and fall in love with her.

Only… your voice.

I thought maybe acceptance was part of Ariel’s motivations, but curiosity covers most of those situations. As Triton’s baby girl, she has plenty of acceptance already in the kingdom. But she is fine being an oddball as long as she gets to explore. She worries about not seeing her family again when she deals with Ursula, but honor and nurturing do not seem to fit either. I think saving, curiosity, and romance describe Ariel’s motivations.

So how do we sort these desires? I think saving has to go first because Ariel does not seek Ursula until her father destroys her collection of treasures. Ariel’s innate talents in romance are the most obvious. She is a beautiful girl, with a fantastic singing voice. But for her motivations, I think romance is in third place. She falls in love with Prince Eric, but that is because of her curiosity and collecting human artifacts. People fall in love no matter what their desires are. Ariel is talented in beauty, art, and attraction, but I think it motivates her less than saving and curiosity.

So here is my guess for Ariel’s top three desires using Steven Reiss’ 16 desires.

  • Saving (Collecting, Preserving, Valuing)
  • Curiosity (Explore, Analyze, Discuss)
  • Romance (Beauty, Art, Attraction)

And now a funny side note Ariel shares two desires with me, and I did not realize it until I walked through her character arc. I am embarrassed! It seems obvious now, but you have to dig a bit and weigh the desires to test what makes people tick. I guessed Ariel was going to be into acceptance and independence. What a mistake!

I thought I could spot someone who shared desires with me, but moments like this make me enjoy this game. Our desires are complex. Sixteen options may not seem like that many, but how they interact and manifest keeps surprising me.

Sorry, Ariel, I did not notice we had similar desires.

What does Bruce the Shark from Jaws want?

It might seem strange to ask what a shark is looking for, where the shark gives no speeches and sings no songs. Bruce is not a Disney Princess. But does a monster like the great white shark in Jaws have things it wants? I think he might! Let’s find out using Steven Reiss’ 16 Desires.

Bruce can’t talk; if he did, it would probably be in bloody bubbles. But fortunately, Hooper, our wealthy and gregarious shark expert, does some explaining for Bruce.

Thanks for the food!

Hooper: There are two ways to deal with this problem: you‘re either going to kill this animal or you‘re gonna cut off its food supply.

And then, to clarify his point to the Mayor, Hooper explains what a shark is and how big this one has grown.

Hooper: Mr. Vaughn, what we are dealing with here is a perfect engine, ah, an
eating machine. It’s really a miracle of evolution. All this machine does is swim and eat and make little sharks. And that’s all. Now why don’t you take a long close look at this sign. Those proportions are correct.

So, according to Hooper, sharks want to eat, swim around, and make baby eating machines. No one mentions whether sharks care for their young (they usually don’t), so a desire for a family is off, although this may become an issue in the sequels. Hooper does not talk about how they reproduce, so there is no shark romance.

Hooper gives an excellent overview, but it does not feel like Bruce because Bruce is not a regular shark. His behavior baffles shark-hunter Quint and shark-expert Hooper. Bruce gets away from Quint’s barrels, but then Bruce follows their boat.

Hooper: You ever have one do this before?
Quint: I don’t know. — Hold fast!
Hooper: He’s chasin‘ us, I don’t believe it!
Quint: We’re gonna draw him into the shadows, draw him in the shallow water, gonna draw him in and drown him. We’re headin’ in, Brody!
Martin: Thank Christ! Ever have a Great White do this?
Hooper: No!

Bruce is out for vengeance. He takes their hunt personally. And he will not give until his hunters are dead.

I’ll show you shark hunter!

Does Bruce have a third desire? Maybe physical activity, curiosity, or independence are options. Sharks have to move to breathe. A shark that stops swimming will suffocate and die, precisely like Quint’s plan to kill Bruce. So Bruce is not necessarily more active than other sharks. Is Bruce curious? Not really, but he seems like the calculating shark and more intelligent than most.

Independence? Sharks are relatively independent by nature. But maybe Bruce is more independent than most sharks. Is Bruce motivated by others trying to control him? I think he might be. He goes explicitly after fishermen, and when the beach patrol brings out the armada, he circumvents them and goes into the estuary.

The more I think about it; Bruce doesn’t even care about eating. He’ll bite through cables, rip out chains, and chew through ropes to free himself. I think freedom motivates Bruce, too! He frees himself multiple times from barrels and harpoons, shaking off his bonds. He doesn’t have to because he’s such a giant shark. The barrels can’t float him to the surface.

You can’t trap me, fishing guy!

And I overlooked another one, power. Does Bruce the shark want to dominate? Yes, he does. And we see it from his first victim, Chrissie Watkins.

Bruce doesn’t have to tear Chrissie Watkins around, but he wants to.

Bruce can sneak around the shallow waters of Amity Island, quietly plucking victims under the water. He does it several times. But is that a reaction to all the shark watchers? He inspects his prey and surroundings, which is why he is so hard to catch. Set up a shark wall of boats and guns, and he will go into the estuary. But if he gets a chance, he will dominate his food.

Bruce doesn’t need to sink a ship to find food, but wants to. He is the dominant force in the ocean and wants to prove it. This combination of power and vengeance makes this shark highly motivated by your threats. Hunt him, and he will take it personally. He will dominate and eat you.

Bruce is powerful and wants to take on bigger prey. He is not much of a leader as far as we know, but he controls his waters.

So here are my guesses for Bruce’s desires:

  • Vengeance (Compete, Retaliate, Defeat, come from behind)
  • Power (Domination, Control, Authority)
  • Independence (Freedom, Self Reliance, Determination)

I thought for sure eating was going to be on Bruce’s list! But Bruce does not care what he eats. He is eating for power, chasing boats for vengeance, and chewing through ropes for freedom. He frees himself from fishing lines and then goes after the fishermen. And he doesn’t just eat his food; he dominates it. He leaves limbs and torsos behind in his wake. Bruce is not a shark foodie!

Well, that is not what I expected. Bruce is a powerhouse! You don’t want to be anywhere near him. Offend him, and he will chase you forever. Trap him, and he will escape. Get in his waters, and he will dominate you. What a force to be reckoned with! He’ll eat you, but probably leave the carnage behind to terrorize your friends.

And your little boat too!

No wonder Quint and Hooper are so scared by Bruce’s behavior. They are used to sharks that want to eat, swim and make more sharks, but eating is not even a motivator for Bruce. Once he has his sights set on you, he will never give up. You have offended all of his desires by trying to catch him.

Bruce surprised me in this game of guessing desires. I thought a shark of all movie monsters would be simple in its motivations. This is just a game to understand Reiss’ 16 desires better, so you might disagree. But for me, when desires click in, it is like a lock combination opens. Suddenly, it is almost like I can see the personality driving the characters’ actions, even if it is Bruce the shark.

And Bruce is out there … taking it personally.

The Desire and Motivation Zodiac! What’s your sign?

“To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.”

Socrates


“First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him.”

Ray Bradbury

The word zodiac derives from zōdiacus, meaning “cycle or circle of little animals”. So let’s make a circle of little animals for Steven Reiss’ 16 desires!

My guess is that one of these desires will describe more than half of what you want. Three of them combined will describe almost everything you want. Seeing your desires clearly laid out in front of you might be like looking in a mirror.

Honor, the Dog (Integrity, Loyalty, Trust, Tradition). Man’s best and most loyal friend. Dogs accompany, hunt, herd, assist, and guard for their masters. There are K-9 units embedded with the military and police because they trust their dogs. There are guard dogs that protect, therapy dogs that console, and guide dogs who see for the blind. While scientists debate whether dogs really feel shame for their misdeeds, dogs know how to look ashamed. And as for loyalty, some dogs mourn the loss of their owners for the rest of their lives. If nothing tops loyalty, trust, and integrity, wag your tail.

Romance, the Peacock (Beauty, Art, Attraction). Nature’s art gallery. Peacocks are beautiful, and they love to share it. They show their feathers off to anyone who will behold them. It’s not just the color of the feathers; it is the dance, the song, and the presentation to ensure everyone sees. Someone who wants romance wants it everywhere, so like the peacock, they may as well bring the art with them. If you search the world for beauty or create art, you may have glorious tail feathers.

Family, the Elephant (Nurturing, raising offspring). Baby elephants gestate for 22 months, or more than twice as long as humans. Elephant mothers then nurse their young for 4-6 years, as the baby grows into a giant. When predators arrive, elephants rush to surround and protect their children. And elephants stay with their mothers for 16 years until they fully mature, learning which plants to eat, which watering holes to visit, and how to socialize with other elephants. While we are talking about elephant mothers, it does not limit the desire for family to women. If you want to nurture and think about it constantly, you might have a trunk.

Social Contact, the Dolphin (Friendship, Companions, Group play). Dolphins are highly social animals and love to play. They will swim along with boats and humans, laughing all the while. A pod of dolphins stays in constant communication, and while usually dolphin pods number a dozen individuals, a super-pod of dolphins can have more than a thousand. Once thought to remain in their pod throughout their life, it now seems dolphins may hang with other pods from time to time. If playing with a pod of friends and companions is its own reward, you might have a dolphin fin.

Acceptance, the Horse (Attention, Approval, Inclusion). Horses can get along with many other animals, as long as it is not dangerous predators or snakes. Horses can perform in front of a large crowd, plow a family field, walk their drunken riders home, or join a parade, basking in the attention. They love being accepted into a herd, whatever its composition may be. Our world history rides on the back of horses and their willingness to join their riders and colleagues on whatever missions they undertake. If you work hard for attention and approval, you might have a horse’s tail and mane.

Social Status, the Fox (Exclusivity, Connection, Reputation). There is a cunning streak in understanding social queues, pecking orders, and climbing the social ladder. Foxes can get in just about anywhere, and good luck following them. To get rid of a fox, hunters need a pack of dogs and a team of men with guns, and even then, it is tough going. You don’t know how savvy a fox is or how deep its network and reputation go. If your network is vast and powerful, and you are interested in the most exclusive connections, look for a fox tail.

Power, the Lion (Domination, Control, Authority). A classic symbol of kings and leaders going all the way back, at least to the ancient Assyrians, who viewed hunting lions as the sport of kings to protect their people. If even kings and empires saw lions as rivals and a threat, it only shows lions’ power. The lion is the king of beasts, and many royal coats of arms throughout Europe still feature the lion prominently as a symbol of their power and Sri Lanka put one on their national flag. Don’t let cuddly documentary footage fool you. Lions have ruled for most of human history. If power is its own reward, you might have a lion’s mane and claws.

Independence, the Eagle (Freedom, Self Reliance, Determination). What greater freedom could there be than flying above everything with no one to stop you? Eagles sit at the top of the food chain, with no natural predators, and prefer to be alone most of the time. With sharp vision and a different view above the earth, they see a different world than the rest of us stuck on the ground. Once they take flight, no one can bring them back. If you value personal freedom, self-reliance, and make sure no one can control you, check for eagle feathers.

Tranquility, the Turtle (Preparation, Comfort, Calm, Stress Tolerance). The stalwart turtle, born with and hard shell to protect itself. They have all the comfort of home with them at all times, because they carry a house on their back. Things may get bad, but they’ll be alright. They can get through this. There’s no need to panic. If your most prized possession is your comfy clothes and you can mysteriously handle situations that make others run in panic, you might have a turtle’s shell.

Saving, the Squirrel (Collecting, Preserving, Valuing). Squirrels are famous for their habit of storing nuts and other food for the winter. Squirreling away something means putting it in a safe or secret place, especially for future use. And looking through the collection can be just as fun as putting it together. If you ever say, “I need this for my collection,” or want to save things “just in case” you might have a collection of acorns and a squirrel’s tail.

Eating, the Truffle Hog (Food, thinking about food, and planning meals). Everyone has to eat. It’s part of life. But if you don’t enjoy it, what’s the point? A Truffle Hog uses its excellent sense of smell to find the rarest and most desirable foods in the world. For their weight, truffles are the most expensive food too. That is a lot of effort for food. Why not just eat something else? Because food is the reward! Truffle Hogs love to eat the truffles too, which is why some hunters replace them with truffle hounds. If you love eating, planning future meals, and just thinking about food, you might have the fine taste of a gourmand Truffle Hog and a snout to find the best food out there.

Physical Activity, the Monkey (Exercise, Active, Moving). Monkeys run and jump through the trees with ease. Their normal day of just moving around puts professional gymnasts to shame. Monkeying around means doing things that are not useful or serious. But that is just how others view it. To a monkey, the activity is the prize. If movement is life, you might have a monkey tail.

Vengeance, the Scorpion (Compete, Retaliate, Defeat, come from behind). No matter how big and strong you are, a scorpion can hurt you. Its stinger is always a threat, and a scorpion might look for a reason to sting you. It might seem like nothing to you, or you may not have noticed the scorpion, but in the words of Michael Jordan, “And I took that personally.” Scorpions have been a symbol for death and power since at least the time of ancient Egypt when a scorpion went to kill the sun. If you have a list of people to retaliate against, compete to defeat, or find coming from behind the most motivating thing in the world, you probably have a tail stinger.

Idealism, the Beaver (Belief, Sacrifice, Justice, and making things right). Beavers are renowned for their ability to build dams. They are one of the few animals that can actively change their environment by blocking rivers and streams with trees and mud. They are nature’s lumberjacks, cutting down trees with their teeth. The beaver looks at the world every morning, takes a deep breath, and thinks, “I can fix this.” If you believe in a better world with more justice, and sacrifice for it because “it’s the right thing to do” you might have nature’s chainsaw; beaver teeth.

Curiosity, the Octopus (Explore, Analyze, Discuss). With eight arms to explore and giant eyes to observe, the octopus might be the weirdest creature on earth. Or should I say, the most curious? Octopus are expert escape artists that get through any opening that fits their hard beak, and they can solve tricky puzzles and mazes to get food. They also have a brain for each tentacle, giving them nine brains running simultaneously, with blue blood pumping through their three hearts. What is the octopus thinking about? Who knows? But an octopus is undoubtedly thinking. If your curiosities require all your limbs, maybe you really have tentacles.

Order, the Bee Hive (Organize, Plan, Clean). A bee hive might look like chaos up close, but take a step back, and it will amaze you how organized everything is. There is a clear hierarchy set up, tasks assigned, and an orderly area constructed. Do any other creatures create a world using geometric figures like a beehive’s hexagons? The symbol of hard work and industry, someone has got to organize it all. If you love taming chaos, you might be comfortable in a beehive.

Note: Desires seventeen and eighteen are NOT officially part of the desires list because they lack the depth of the previous sixteen. They cannot motivate as deeply as the desires above. But that does not mean they are unimportant or rare. You will often encounter them, and I think they are valuable to understand. They may be very important to you, too.

Humor, the Parrot
Parrots are nature’s stand-up comedians. They can mimic almost any sound they hear, including human speech. They tell jokes, swear, and have whole routines to entertain crowds. Much like their human comic counterparts, parrots can have self-destructive behaviors. For parrots, it involves feather-pulling if we bore them for prolonged periods. But what is comedy without tragedy? If making others laugh and a sense of humor is paramount, you probably have some parrot feathers.

Territoriality, the Bear
While scientists say bears are not fully territorial because they permit others into their domain, there is one thing hikers and backpackers know; If you are in the backcountry, you are in bear country. What other animal gets its own country? A lion might be the king of animals, but if you find yourself in a forest with bear prints, it’s time to be extra careful. And if you keep an extra watchful eye over your area of influence, check if you leave bear paw prints.

What does Rick Deckard in Blade Runner Want?

Deckard is a tough protagonist to love because he does not want to be part of the Blade Runner story. Police Captain Bryant forces Deckard back into the job when Leon shoots Holden, Rick’s replacement. Gaff arrests Deckard to drag him out of retirement. With four Nexus 6 units returning to Earth, the police need help. “I need you, Deck,” Bryant says. “This is a bad one, the worst yet. I need the old Blade Runner; I need your magic.”

But Deckard refuses, “I was quit when I come in here, Bryant, I’m twice as quit now.” And Bryant threatens Deckard back into doing the job. So, what makes Deckard tick? Despite his great skill at the job, he obviously does not want to be a Blade Runner. It seems like Deckard intends to finish the job to quit again. So if Deckard doesn’t want to be a Blade Runner, what does he want? Let’s guess using the 16 desires!

I think Deckard’s primary motivation is eating. He’s waiting for an opening at the sushi bar when we meet him.

Deckard: Give me four.
Sushi Master: Futatsu de jubun desuyo! [Japanese: “Two are really enough”]
Deckard: No, four: two, two, four!

And noodles!

Then, while Deckard is munching, Gaff brings another cop to arrest him. Rick pretends he can’t understand Gaff’s pidgin mash of languages and asks the sushi Master to translate for him.

Sushi Master: He say you Blade Runner.
Deckard: Tell him I’m eating.

Deckard loves eating. He’s ordering sushi when we meet him and finishing noodles as Gaff flies him to see Bryant. It’s Deckard’s question about food where Rachel fails the Voight-Kampff test. “You’re watching a stage play. A banquet is in progress. The guests are enjoying an appetizer of raw oysters. The entrée consists of boiled dog.” Where Rachel breaks down from this question, I think Deckard would like to try a taste.

Rachel stops by Deckard’s home to prove she is human. She knows something went wrong with the test, but she can’t believe she is a replicant. He tells her to go away and ask Tyrell, but Tyrell wouldn’t take her meeting. Realizing he’s got to break the news to her, Deckard says, “You want a drink? Huh? No?”

He invites Rachel in and tells her what he knows about her implanted memories, but when he sees the information crush her, he offers her a drink again, “Okay, bad joke. I made a bad joke. You’re not a replicant. Go home, okay? No, really, I’m sorry. Go home — Want a drink? I’ll get you a drink. I’ll get a glass.”

Look at all those kitchen appliances and mixing bowls! The man loves to cook too!

Rachel leaves, and Deckard drinks alone.

Deckard visits a fishmonger to check the genetic code on the scale he finds in Leon’s hotel bathroom. When he threatens to check Taffi Lewis’ licenses, Taffi gives him drinks on the house. Deckard is ecstatic and calls Rachel to invite her down to take advantage of the offer. She refuses, so Deckard offers to go somewhere else. He knows plenty of great places!

Then, alone again and rejected, Deckard drinks a Mezcal Margarita with maguey agave worms. He pulls a worm out of his mouth, not liking the bitter flavor.

Extra worms? Sure!

Deckard wants to eat, and he drinks a lot too. This leads to Deckard’s second motivation: tranquility.

After Deckard retires Zhora, and Rachel retires Leon, Deckard takes her back to his apartment and asks how she is doing.

Deckard: Shakes? Me too.
Rachel: What?
Deckard: I get ’em bad. It’s part of the business.
Rachel: I’m not in the business. I am the business.

Deckard drinks a lot. He might be an alcoholic, but it could also be how he manages the stress of hunting replicants. He knows this is an incredibly tough job that makes him shake uncontrollably, and he has the tools to deal with it. This might be one of his reasons for retirement.

It might seem counterintuitive that someone who wants tranquility would take the most stressful job they could manage. Still, Steven Reiss started his research on desires by trying to explain happy Intensive Care Unit nurses. Why would anyone want a position where the stress was off the chart, patients constantly died, and you had to deal with the most challenging events of people’s lives? But the nurses loved their jobs, and it baffled Reiss, leading to all his future desire and motivation research. I think Deckard falls into this category. If you want tranquility, you develop tools to find it anywhere.

Deckard is cool-headed and has the tools and techniques to stay that way. When Rachel leaves Deckard and drinks alone, he wraps a blanket around his shoulders too. Being comfortable is incredibly important for tranquility.

Got to stay comfy!

After Deckard retires Zhora, he sprints to a street bar to get another drink. He knows the shakes are coming, and I think drinking combines his top two desires; eating and tranquility.

“Yeah, what you want?” “Tsing Tao.” Deckard knows what medicine he needs.

After Rachel saves him from Leon, Deckard peels off his shirt and dunks his face in warm water to clean his wounds and calm his nerves. Rachel asks him, “What if I go north? Disappear. Would you come after me? Hunt me?” Deckard says, “No. No, I wouldn’t. I owe you one. But somebody would.” Rachel asks him more questions; her incept date, longevity, those things. He doesn’t have many answers as he puts his shirt back on, doesn’t button it, grabs his drink, and then takes a nap. Does it get more tranquil than this?

Gotta get those nerves under control!

I think Independence is Deckard’s third desire.

Bryant: You could learn from this guy, Gaff. He’s a goddamn one man slaughter house. That’s what he is. Four more to go. Come on, Gaff, let’s go.

Deckard works alone, and everyone in the Police department knows it. When Rachel ambushes him in the elevator to his apartment, he drops his keys on the way to his door.

Rachael: I wanted to see you — So I waited. Let me help.
Deckard: What do I need help for?

Deckard can do it alone. He does not need help. He hunts superhuman strength replicants who look and act like normal humans and Deckard has never retired a human by mistake.

Deckard is fiercely independent. Bryant’s threat, “If you’re not cop, you’re little people!” hits him hard. He knows the police can harass and arrest him because Gaff did just that. It might be counterintuitive that someone who wants independence would willingly go back to work doing something he does not want to do, but independent people are in it for the long haul. If doing a task now gives more independence and freedom later, they can make that sacrifice.

Deckard agrees with Leon’s statement, “Painful to live in fear, isn’t it? Nothing is worse than having an itch you can never scratch.” Roy’s statement, “Quite an experience to live in fear, isn’t it? That’s what it is to be a slave.” hits right at Deckard’s desire to be independent. Roy even recognizes in Deckard the desire, even when he is powerless, to spit on people who are more powerful than him because he can.

So here are my guesses for Rick Deckard’s desires in Blade Runner:

  • Eating (Food, thinking about food and planning meals)
  • Tranquility (Preparation, Comfort, Calm)
  • Independence (Freedom, Self Reliance, Determination)

But just wanting something does not mean you get it. Deckard may not like help, but two replicants save his life. Rachel shoots Leon before he gouges out Deckard’s eyes, and Roy catches Deckard before he falls off the Bradbury Building. So he owes his life to two replicants while his job is to hunt and kill replicants. No wonder Deckard hates his job! It almost killed him multiple times. He may be the best Blade Runner in Los Angeles with tricks to handle the stress that comes with the job, but he’d much rather leave forever where he can eat, relax, and be free.

What does boiled dog taste like?

What does Roy Batty from Blade Runner Want?

“I want more life,” Roy tells Elden Tyrell. Well, that was a fast game of what they want! Roy wants to live longer than four years.

But survival, or ‘more life’, is not on Reiss’ 16 desire list. Neither is shelter, money, or spirituality. These things make up a considerable part of our lives! But in Reiss’ research, these are not desires themselves. Instead, our desires are WHY we want survival, shelter, money, or spirituality. The 16 desires motivate us at an even deeper level. The great thing about using the Reiss model is we can discover why Roy wants more life.

Let’s see how they introduce Roy to the audience.

“What is this?” Deckard asks as Vangelis’s synthesizers swell ominously.
“Nexus 6. Roy Batty.” Police Captain Bryant says. “Incept date 2016. Combat model. Optimum self-sufficiency. Probably the leader.“

This description is fascinating because we get the parameters of Roy’s creation. If we followed these details, we should easily be able to see what motivates Roy. Here are the features Roy’s creators wanted:

  • Independence (Freedom, Self Reliance, Determination)
  • Vengeance (Compete, Retaliate, Defeat, come from behind)
  • Power (Domination, Control, Authority)

But something seems off. That isn’t Roy Batty.

He isn’t fiercely independent; he is usually with someone else. Roy does not seem motivated by vengeance, either. He has plenty of chances to get revenge on Deckard, but only breaks two of his fingers for the female replicants Deckard retired. And if power were a motivation, Roy should be able to dominate the weaker-minded Zhora, Pris, and Leon, but he refuses to. He does not lead the replicants through his superior mental prowess. Come to think of it, Roy should be able to dominate EVERYONE in Blade Runner. He’s as smart as his genius creator. Maybe smarter. None of those desires seem right for Roy!

Let’s try again, but this time, let’s look at what Roy says.

“You better get it up, or I’m gonna have to kill ya! Unless you’re alive, you can’t play, and if you don’t play…”

Roy tells us here the reason for living is play. Does Social Interaction work as Roy’s primary desire? I think it does. He wants to play with his friends. He cries and struggles to find the right words when he tells Pris, “Ahh… There’s only two of us now.”

He even manipulates J.F. Sebastian by becoming his friend. Roy could easily torture Sebastian but decides not to. Pris helps, saying, “We need you, Sebastian. You’re our best and only friend.” as well. Roy then makes Sebastian laugh by playing with some eyeballs lying around the apartment. “We’re so happy you found us!”

We’re so happy you found us! Roy loves to play; if only his world weren’t so dreary!

Roy does not just want more life for himself. He wants it for his friends as well. “If we don’t find help soon, Pris hasn’t got long to live. We can’t allow that,” Roy tells Sebastian. Roy then walks over to a chessboard and asks, “Is he good?”

Sebastian asks, “Who?”

“Your opponent” Roy clarifies. Roy will even use games and play to reach his creator.

JF even introduces Roy to Tyrell saying, “Mr. Tyrell. I— I brought a friend.”

Roy howls in despair after losing Pris. With no friends left, Roy spends the last few moments of his life playing a game with Deckard. He sings, he recites nursery rhymes; he gives Deckard back his gun and lets him take a free shot, but when Deckard falls off the side of the building, the game is over. Deckard may not be a genuine friend, but he is the only social interaction Roy has left at the end of his life.

This leads us to Roy’s next major motivator: Romance. He says, “Chew, if only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes!” and he tells Deckard, “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe!”

Roy describes some of the beautiful things he has seen in his brief life, “Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion… I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate.” Roy is so enthralled by the beauty of it all he makes poetry. Even as his body is shutting down, Roy describes his situation with a poetic simile, “All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain... Time to die.“

I think Roy’s third desire is idealism.

He recognized the injustice his creators had inflicted on him and his friends with a four-year life span and wanted to fix it. How could life be so beautiful and so short, while the replicants live in fear as slaves? Roy thought he could change the situation for his replicant friends, even if it was incredibly difficult. They at least had to try, even if it meant sacrificing the last moments they had. Roy is shocked to find out there is no way he can get more life.

“You were made as well as we could make you,” Tyrell tells Roy.
“But not to last,” Roy laments.

Roy doubts his actions. “I’ve done questionable things,” he says. Now that he knows nothing can save him or Pris from their expiration dates, was it all worth it? Roy isn’t sure. But because his creators cannot fix the problem, Roy kills them for what they have done. I don’t think Roy kills Tyrell and Sebastian for personal revenge but to right the injustice they inflicted on the replicants by creating them to be more human than human, but with such a short shelf life. He even apologizes to Sebastian, his friend, before killing him. It does not seem personal with Roy, but ideological.

Roy thinks constantly about ethics, questioning his own motivations and others. “Not very sporting to fire on an unarmed opponent,” Roy says after dodging Deckard’s first bullet. “I thought you were supposed to be good. Aren’t you the good man? Come on Deckard. Show me what you’re made of.” If play and justice motivate Roy, you better play fair. At least as fair as you can against a superhuman.

Roy breaks two of Deckard’s fingers for killing Zhora and Pris. Punishment must be inflicted, but the replicant women only had a short time left. Deckard did not create them and was not responsible for their brief lives. With Deckard’s punishment already exacted, Roy had no reason to punish him further. So instead, he plays a game. Roy sets the parameters of their play and gives Deckard his gun back. “Come on, Deckard, I’m right here, but you’ve got to shoot straight.” Deckard takes a shot with his off-hand, and Roy dodges Deckard’s bullet again at point blank range, a blood trail oozing where the bullet grazed his temple.

“Straight doesn’t seem to be good enough! Now it’s my turn. I’m gonna give you a few seconds before I come. One, Two. Three, Four.” It’s the only way this game will be any fun. Roy plays with a handicap, it’s only fair. It is the sporting thing to do. Deckard is no match for Roy, but no one is. Roy mourns Pris’ death, kisses her while Deckard runs, and howls in agony now that he is alone, but then Roy finishes his count, and the game with Deckard continues. Roy is happy to play as long as he can. He even puts a nail through his palm to play a little longer.

And when Deckard spits in Roy’s face as he falls, Roy shouts, “Kinship!” and catches him. Even if only for a few moments, Roy found a playmate he could save. And Roy didn’t want to die alone.

So here are my guesses for Roy Batty’s primary desires:

  • Social Contact (Friendship, Companions, Group play)
  • Romance (Beauty, Art, Attraction)
  • Idealism (Belief, sacrifice, Justice, and making things right)

This feels more like Roy to me. A playful and friendly romantic who will sacrifice trying to repair what is wrong. One of the most difficult things in trying to understand our desires is how much internal conflict there is between them. The desires feed off one another, giving dimension and depth to our motivations.

There is also a conflict between what we have and what we want because often they do not match up. Roy may be powerful, but he does not want power. By design, he may not need help; but he wants friends. And while he could get revenge, he’d rather repair injustice to help his friends. And what a pity it is that for all the amazing things he has seen, those moments will all disappear without being shared. Roy loses all his friends and dies on top of a dingy, abandoned, apartment complex, unable to fix the replicant’s condition, with only his would-be killer to talk to. But at least Roy does not die alone.

See you, Space Cowboy.

And as a side note, you may notice how similar Roy Batty’s list of desires is to Luke Skywalker’s, but instead of Honor Roy has Romance. Luke is slightly more idealistic than Roy, but their desires seem fairly close. The 16 desires are not good or evil. Would Roy have been the hero in a different story? Maybe he already was.