Inner and Outer Evil

A post on Facebook made me think about the concepts of inner and outer evil and I decided to write down my take on the subject for everyone who wants to get into it. So, what is inner and outer evil, how do they work, and what can you use them for?

Inner and outer evil are two concepts about why things happen to the hero. They are especially useful for horror stories (and the post was about advice for writing gothic horror), because a lot of bad things tend to happen to the hero in horror stories.

Outer evil is the older concept and can also be found in fairy tales and in old myths and legends. In a story with outer evil, the hero has no hand in what happens to them. Think of Snow White or Briar Rose, for example. The only thing Snow White did to incur her stepmother’s wrath was to grow up and become a young woman. It’s neither her fault she grew up to be pretty, nor is it her fault that her stepmother grew older. To be chased away, almost killed several times, and later on poisoned is not anything she deserved through past deeds. Briar Rose is still an infant when she is cursed for the very minor sin of her parents not inviting a fairy godmother to her christening. To die for it once she reaches sixteen - as is the original curse - or to lie in sleep for a hundred years certainly is not a suitable punishment for this. Especially not when put on the baby who never had anything to do with it. A similar concept is also the basis of “Dracula,” where none of the main characters deserves what the Transylvanian count puts them through.

Inner evil is a newer concept which states that the hero had a hand in what happens to them. Examples for this are “Frankenstein” or “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” In both cases the actions of the hero - making a creature from dead flesh or creating an alternate identity for enjoying the darker pleasures of life - lead to the problems the hero is facing. The same also goes for Evie Carnahan in “The Mummy” (the 1999 version): her reading a few lines from the ‘borrowed’ Book of the Dead leads to the awakening of the cursed Imhotep. The hero becomes a hero the moment they decide to face the problems they’ve created and to solve them - or die trying. And at least Evie and Victor Frankenstein show they are ready to do just that.

Outer evil works well in a fantasy or horror setting these days - both make the existence of fate or a curse more likely. In a horror or fantasy story, there’s no reason why the hero should not have to act to counter something they had no hand in creating. It’s the more old-fashioned concept and you have to be more careful with it, because in most cases, audiences will expect there to be a reason why the hero is drawn into a story beyond ‘it was once foretold’ or ‘they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ It can still work, though - and in other genres as well. Imagine the hero being drawn into an intrigue they had nothing to do with at the beginning. In horror stories, you can, of course, always have a car break down somewhere.

Inner evil is the more modern concept and works with every setting. The hero can always have done something wrong, which will then result in a problem which needs solving. Scientists might do something which they shouldn’t have done (the whole ‘things mankind was never supposed to know’ trope - or, more modern, the ‘just because you can doesn’t mean you should’ trope). A socialite could have dropped a bomb (of gossip) in the wrong company and gotten herself into hot water. You can see where I’m going, I’m sure.

How do you work with the outer evil concept? The first and foremost thing to do is to remember that you need a very convincing reason for your outer evil to exist. We are past the time of fairy tales and legends. People won’t just believe it, if you say ‘the gods put a curse on him.’ Well, they will believe you in the right setting, that’s why I mentioned fantasy stories. In a world with magic and, perhaps, even with tangible gods, a curse or blessing (which may turn into a curse) are believable to the audience. Outer evil might also come from something which the character can’t control, such as jealousy (of their relationship, their status, or their looks), as in Snow White’s or in Briar Rose’s case. If you manage to create a believable reason for them to be pulled into a situations, then the concept of outer evil can work very well.

And how do you work with the inner evil concept? First of all, the sin should be worth the suffering the hero goes through and it should be the hero’s sin in the first place. Their ego (as in case of Victor Frankenstein or Evie Carnahan) or their dark desires (as in the case of Dr. Jekyll) are good ways to start things up. And you should tailor the severity of the problem to the severity of the sin. Having some people help Evie a little, even though she does most things by herself (pitting her mind against Imhotep’s powers), is acceptable, her sin of reading from the Book of the Dead isn’t as severe as, for instance, Frankenstein’s sin of creating a creature out of dead flesh. She couldn’t have known it would raise a specific dead person, whereas Frankenstein wanted to raise one. Evie is guilty of hubris as much as Frankenstein, but to a lesser degree. Being proud of the knowledge of a dead language isn’t on the same level as being sure you can create life out of dead matter.

Inner and outer evil are interesting concepts, but you have to be a little careful about how you use them.