The world of fiction, whether contained in books or portrayed in moving pictures, is a vast one. It encompasses the most realistic of characters to the most magical imaginary creatures. Fiction is one of the very few genres wherein one can find an animal that is a cross between a dragon and a butterfly and at the same time, meet a very typical and run of the mill damsel in distress.
Yet, in the realm of make-believe, there are still some professions represented by fictional characters that often get more than its five minutes of fame. Here are some of these professions.
Picture courtesy of Fox/Creative Commons
The Medical Profession
The medical profession is rarely, if ever, unrepresented in any type of story. The human life, after all, is often disturbed by one or more conditions that require some sort of medical intervention, be it a simple remedy for fever or an adrenaline-pumping action such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Dr. Gregory House, portrayed by Hugh Laurie, is perhaps one of the most controversial physicians in the category of television shows. Though he is proclaimed as a genius, covertly by his critics and overtly by his admirers, his methods of diagnosing and treating his patients are debatable, at best. He bullies the members of his team and manipulates them, yet, heroically and dramatically saves the day with his rare insight into what ails his patients.
Other notable names with MDs are Dr. Patch Adams, Dr. Dolittle, Dr. Jekyll, and countless others.
The Legal and Paralegal Profession
Lawyers have always been stars in the fictional sphere. They practically own the mystery category with the detective work and courtroom appearances called for in various scenarios of murder, rape, family drama, and whatnot.
Sidney Sheldon stories, for example, highlight the importance of the members of the legal profession in day to day life. Attorney Jennifer Parker, of the novel titled Rage of Angels, has proven to be a valuable contribution to the world of road accident victims, accused innocents, and the penniless suffering. Later on, in a desperate move to save her only son’s life, she becomes indebted to a powerful mafia family and uses her courtroom brilliance for the mafia’s benefit. After several exciting developments, including the discovery of Parker’s affairs with a presidential candidate and the mafia leader, the story ends with Parker back on the law’s good side.
Who could also forget the lovable Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) and the paralegal Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts)? The list of popular lawyers in fiction and plots based on true life stories goes on and on.
Law Enforcement Profession
The need for peace and order in any situation is the main factor that contributes to the significance of law enforcement characters such as the police. Even in stories wherein the police departments gets bested by the Fantastic 4, Batman, or Superman, these superheroes still represent the society’s law enforcement division.
Imagine a Chinese and an American crossing cultural barriers to form one of the funniest, yet still effective police tandems of all time: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker from the Rush Hour movie series should come to mind. Amidst all the blunders, funny lines, and various kungfu moves, the duo proves to be the best detectives to get the job done.
Because fiction is such an extensive genre, one can expect almost anything from the stories that belong to this field. However, it cannot be denied that a part of the plots will have to borrow from real life. Thus, real-life professions will also get their fair share of the glory, be it in movies, books, or television shows.
TK is a blogger who blogs about different career fields. To find out more, check out his site http://criminaljusticecareers101.net.