"Oftentimes in one of these stories, the Formerly Bad But Now Redeemed Person sees someone who was hurt by them—and when that person reacts badly, the Redeemed Person takes that reaction as their due, but their friends or loved ones stand up for them. The person who reacted badly is shamed, often, or presented in a negative light, for Being Mean To Someone Who Has Changed. The switch has flipped, and so people should treat them as though they are Good now. / Good becomes what you are, not what you have done."
^ yep yep yep to all this. Centering the ex-Bad person and making them a character the audience should be sympathetic with *over* their victims is such a strange thing to do. I feel like the parts where the ex-Baddie's new family/friends stand up for them always feels more like they've been shoved into the role rather than actually having learned it.
"Oftentimes in one of these stories, the Formerly Bad But Now Redeemed Person sees someone who was hurt by them—and when that person reacts badly, the Redeemed Person takes that reaction as their due, but their friends or loved ones stand up for them. The person who reacted badly is shamed, often, or presented in a negative light, for Being Mean To Someone Who Has Changed. The switch has flipped, and so people should treat them as though they are Good now. / Good becomes what you are, not what you have done."
^ yep yep yep to all this. Centering the ex-Bad person and making them a character the audience should be sympathetic with *over* their victims is such a strange thing to do. I feel like the parts where the ex-Baddie's new family/friends stand up for them always feels more like they've been shoved into the role rather than actually having learned it.