Enneagram – Page 50 – Enneagram and Encaustic

ELIZABETH SWANN, TWO

As a child, she’s bold and unintimidated. Brave, kind. Curious, loyal.

When she gets older, she still cares for Will despite class differences. Rules mean little. Social conventions mean less. However, most female characters in the late 21st century action movie genre act this way. Can we determine Elizabeth’s Enneagram number or are we stuck with only stereotypical writing?

Let’s go back to the child. Young Elizabeth is extremely likable, a protagonist worth following. She feels strongly but is also active. Her emotions don’t leave her passive. She’s not a brat, though. She’s respectful, yet insistent. Young Elizabeth is a leader, probably an Eight.

Grown Elizabeth is not an Eight. She’s still active rather than passive, and insistent. She no longer has that decisive calm, though. She’s no leader. Bravery has turned to recklessness. She’s also no Head Type; much too impulsive.

Heart. She’s not a good enough fighter to be a Body Type. She’s competent, make no mistake. That’s all, though. And envy drives a lot of her actions. Envy of Sparrow’s insouciance, actually, although I don’t know if anyone involved in the production saw it this way. Elizabeth may want to ignore society’s rules, but she’ll never be as good at it as Sparrow.

A Two goes to Eight in weakness. An Eight’s decisiveness becomes a Two’s cruelty. We see this at the end of the second Pirates movie. Her treatment of Sparrow and Will has an uncomfortable edge.

This is a mish-mosh of a character. Ultimately I’d classify Elizabeth as a Two, but I would write and direct her quite differently to make that clear. She’s living in a gray zone right now, which is what makes her character vulnerable to stereotyping.

Except for when she stays on the island, true to Will. Her sacrifice and generosity shine through at the end of the trilogy, marking a very Two-like moment.

WILL TURNER, FOUR

Will’s a pirate, much to his surprise. At the end of the first PotC movie he gets the girl and embarks on a life of — not crime, necessarily, but not respectable living. He was a craftsman’s apprentice at the beginning. That would’ve been his life’s profession. Not very glamorous, not likely to marry the higher-status Elizabeth.

If I were to guess Will’s Enneagram number based only on the first film in the series, I’m not sure what I would pick. He’s a rule-follower thrown into chaos, and he survives.

However, if you think about it, that’s his story throughout the trilogy, with incredible survival consequences at the end of it all. What does that tell us?

Not many numbers would have the grit necessary to run the Flying Dutchman. Sixes, yes, if the swordplay were less able. Their sense of duty would carry them through. Fours, possibly, because of the powerful heart connection. Ones, yes. Their organizational skills can drive them through anything.

Heart or Body Type?

Will at the end of the trilogy is the best Will. He’s masculine and heroic. Prior to that he’s a bit whiny and secondary. A One is never whiny. They’re too competent and witty to descend into self-pity.

His life is a drama, a roller coaster. His loyalty is unswerving. His trials make him stronger.

Four.

CAPTAIN BARBOSSA, TWO

For a zombie he’s a pretty smooth character. A bit bossy, a bit manipulative, but overall a decent chap. Is he substantial enough to have an Enneagram number, though?

The filmmakers liked him enough to bring him back for Pirates of the Caribbean two and three. He’s the main antagonist in the first movie and dies at the end, suggesting he was a toss away villain on paper. Credit to Geoffery Rush. Whoever Barbossa is, he made decisions that defined him as a crucial part of the series.

He’s no Casanova. He’s a man’s man. Rules are followed (sometimes as guidelines), shipshape order is maintained, wind is in the hair, treasure is procured, and a juicy apple is paradise. When the chips are down, he will have your back and save the day.

He’s competent at swordplay, but not enough to be a Body Type. He’s a strategizer, but his steady heart seems to dominate. And perhaps his rivalry with Sparrow suggests a bit of envy.

Two, Three, or Four?

He’s not outstanding, just a dependable fellow. Not a Three.

Man, I’m torn between Two and Four! He’s kind enough, and he loves the shiny trinkets. Treasure collecting is a Man Two’s dream job. But he’s also witty and driven. His feelings are what we love about him.

Oh, but that gold. The bibs and bobs. The secret kindness he holds close. I’m going with Two.

CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW, SEVEN

I’m almost afraid to take a look at him! What Enneagram number could this odd creature possibly be?

Well, he’s cool under pressure. He’s constantly thinking chess moves ahead in order to get himself out of trouble, but he’s also calm and unhurried while he’s doing so. The Brethren Court, Davy Jones’ heart — Jack has a finger in all of the pies.

Head Type?

Although Jack is competent at swordplay, he doesn’t really seem like a Body Type. He’s learned and practiced enough to get through pirate world alive. Nothing more.

Heart? Not really. Feelings are secondary to the objective with Jack. Also, he’s not particularly envious. Whatever he feels, he knocks it back with rum and rolls on.

Not a Five. Too lively. Not a Six. Too laid back.

Seven it is. Would take the Black Pearl over the Flying Dutchman every time.

RON WEASLEY, FOUR?

This one’s going to take a process of elimination.

Ron is an Envy person. Harry’s success poisons their friendship for a while. Anyone who feels so strongly that they covet against character is a Heart Type. In case you doubt, we also know Ron’s no Body Type. Although he loves quidditch and wants to be good at it, his performance is mixed. Also, he may like the strategy of wizard’s chess, but delving into the thinking of things as a Head Type would is not his strong suit.

This means Ron is a Two, Three, or Four.

Well, he’s clearly not a Three! To others the life of a Three can seem charmed. Ron’s the opposite. He seems cursed. If a Three got sent the moth-balled dress robes they’d turn it into a fashion statement and everyone else would want the same. Shame is really not in the Three wheelhouse.

Is he a Four? A Four can be tormented with the depth of their feelings, which Ron indeed is. However, Four Men are also extremely witty. It’s like they’ve drunk a truth bomb. They are so cutting, and yet fun. Ron, again, this is not.

That leaves a Two. Is Ron a Two? Whoa. Hard call. Two Men are very giving and sweet-natured. They are vulnerable to abuse because they’re so kind. They also tend to accumulate hobbies and the gear that goes with it. A Two Man is a tinkerer. That doesn’t particularly sound like Ron, either.

I’m going to go with Four, even though it’s not a perfect match. It’s the wildly swinging emotions that decide it for me.

Or, Rowling did not nail his character as thoroughly as she did with the others, and he’s really no number at all.

HERMIONE GRANGER, SIX

A stickler for the rules and the boundaries of right and wrong. Organized and prepared. Willing to champion a cause and brave enough to lead others in it.

Is Hermione a Six, or is she a One?

These two numbers are very similar. Build-wise, women are slight, possibly wiry, and not tall. Both numbers have quick wits and sharp tongues. Hermione’s bookishness could point more clearly toward Six, a Head Type, but Ones also enjoy sharing knowledge and insight.

However, a One is a Body Type, and that leads us to the definitive answer.

If Hermione were a One, she’d play quidditch.

Her disinterest in the game (or lack of physical prowess in it) makes her a Six.

HARRY POTTER, NINE

It quickly becomes clear when studying character Enneagrams that a disproportionate number of protagonists, especially male ones, are Nines. It starts to get a little tedious, actually, to always say, “Oh, look, a Nine again.”

Harry’s a Nine.

Man Nines come in two shapes: extremely heroic, muscular, tall, athletic (you can see why writers would favor a Nine protagonist); and lean, medium-height, and quite prone to wear a beard.

Yeah, that seems strangely specific, but it is a consistent observation.

Harry is the latter. (Minus the beard, of course. If he were to ever be portrayed as a man, the characterization wouldn’t be quite accurate if they left off the beard.)

His ability as a Seeker suggests Body Type. His diplomatic friendship with everyone except his most hated enemies is Nine-ish. His passive nature through his younger years at the Dursleys is classic Nine-avoidance of conflict. And his heroism — he doesn’t particularly agonize or fret, he just steps up — have that placid Nine confidence.

Nines are very likable, which makes them so suitable as a main character. They can veer off into boring, though, so keep a tight leash on your writing. Don’t get them started on an anecdote; they’ll talk forever.

MARILLA CUTHBERT, EIGHT

Family usually have some kind of relationship between their Enneagram numbers. Because Matthew is a Five, Marilla’s Enneagram will either be in the strength-weakness number relationship, or in a Head Type adjacent number.

A Five in strength moves to Eight, and an Eight in weakness moves to Five. These siblings have a great dynamic, a great partnership even, because Marilla is an Eight.

No matter how genteel Marilla plays it, you know she wants to take Rachel Lynde’s head off sometimes. Very Eight. Her firmness in disciplining Anne is Eight-ish. Pleas for mercy are not effective on an Eight, and they don’t move Marilla. She’s a hard nut to crack, and when I read the novel as a child her character was very unsympathetic to me. Only later did I appreciate her no-nonsense pragmatism.

Marilla enters very reluctantly into a relationship with Anne, but once she’s in she will defend Anne to the death.

MATTHEW CUTHBERT, FIVE

Matthew is a drop-dead classic Man Five.

His gentleness, his shyness, his observational attention to Anne, and his abhorrence of socializing, are all Five traits. He is steady, quiet, and loyal. Five.

He’s also awkward, boring, and invisible. Five.

In one version of Anne of Green Gables Richard Farnsworth plays Matthew’s Five-ness perfectly. He is the exact lovable mix of qualities. However, the actor is built nothing like Men Fives, who are tall and sometimes gangly, lean, or rangy. Physically, a Man Five is quite similar to a Man Four. The personalities are diametrically opposed, of course, but on first glance they are hard to differentiate.

It just goes to show that an actor’s Enneagram number will not restrict their ability to convincingly play a character’s Enneagram number. I like that.

ANNE SHIRLEY, FOUR

Maybe I’m being too hasty, but doesn’t Anne of Green Gables seem like she must be an Enneagram Four?

She feels everything so very deeply. Drama, glory, beauty, vengeance — they’re all peak emotions for her. Gilbert teases her, and she’ll never forgive him. Diana is her friend, but they must be inseparable bosom buddies. If Marilla and Matthew don’t keep her, she’ll absolutely die. The color of her hair is a lifelong sorrow.

Also, she has the resigned Four way of dealing with pain. Her prior foster family is abusive and cruel. Anne knows this, yet when she talks about them she speaks matter-of-factly. While most of us cherish the highs and disdain the lows, Fours know life is a 50/50 prospect. Tragedy happens. Don’t make more of it than it deserves.

Anne is actually a great Four. Her envy-driven competitiveness at school leads her to outstanding accomplishments. Her stubborn attachment to feelings leads to Matthew’s loyalty and Marilla’s agreement to keep Anne, even though it goes against everything she’d planned. And Anne’s mishaps, which make for engaging storytelling, arise from weaknesses that can become her strengths.

Makes me want to re-read something I haven’t visited in decades.