“So was she on the side of dragons and indifferent to the fate of princesses?”
Most writers are all too familiar with character archetypes. These are the roles and functions that represent a recognisable pattern, and speak to our ‘collective unconscious’. The chief example of this would be a ‘hero’ protagonist directly correlating to the reader being the protagonist of their own story in the real world. But, what are character tropes? How do you use them? And how can they elevate your writing skills with stronger, more nuanced characters in your stories? Join us today at What We Reading as we put character tropes under the microscope!
What Are Character Tropes?
A trope is an idea, pattern or motif that appears frequently enough in the creative industry that consumers begin to correlate particular associations with that idea.
An example of this may be the typical ‘Mean Girl’ in a Rom-Com or an Anti-Hero in a psychological thriller. These tags will immediately conjure an image in your mind of what these types of characters might look and act like. These visualisations naturally won’t be the same as everyone else’s, however, the stronger the trope, the stronger and more consistent the associations become.
In the literary world, writers can use character tropes to their advantage by quickly building characters readers can imagine on their own, avoiding having to eat into the page count with drawn-out descriptions.
Tropes can drift into ‘cliche’ territory if utilised poorly. However, skilful writers are also able to utilise the expectations and associations from character tropes to their advantage. By playing on and subverting these associations, writers can conjure up characters that feel more nuanced, able to surprise the reader by acting in a manner they’re not expecting.
Character Tropes vs Archetypes: What Are The Differences?
We touched on it above, but what is the actual difference between character tropes and archetypes?
In short, archetypes refer more to a role, whereas tropes are more centred around a personality.
For example, a ‘mentor’ archetype is a character who guides a hero on their journey. However, the personality of that character can vary hugely. From the wise and stately Dumbledore in Harry Potter to the drunken fallen mentor of Haymitch in The Hunger Games, these different personality types are their character tropes.
Another example of character archetype vs trope could be in the ‘Side-Kick’ role. Harry Potter once again demonstrates this with Hermoine being the know-it-all geek, whilst Ron is the nice-but-hapless personality.
When To Use Character Tropes
Character tropes are best used when it comes to minor characters who only have one role to fill in your story. These types of characters are typically referred to as ‘flat’ characters. Attempting to make all of these flat characters more rounded will only leave your story feeling bloated, whereas a trope allows readers to fill in the blanks for themselves.
Tropes can also be subverted to surprise and entertain your reader’s expectations, elevating a flat archetype into a more unique character. For example, a ‘dumb jock’ character might have a passion for the theatre or the arts.
Going against historical gender norms can be an effective way of subverting expectations and creating a character trope that feels unique and new for your readers.
One strategy we suggest for gaining an understanding of what tropes and stereotypes are most prevalent with people is by entering them into a Google Image search. For example, a ‘dumb jock’ trope will yield countless results of men dressed in sports attire with bulging biceps. A way of subverting this may be to have a female character obsessed with their studies as well as a sport that isn’t the usual American Football.
Again, the key behind subverting expectations can come from changing everything from their physical appearance to their personality traits, hobbies and skillsets. However, it’s important to remember that there is still a trope these characters have to be recognisable for. Change too much, and that trope becomes unrecognisable to a reader.
Examples Of Character Tropes
Character tropes come in all shapes and sizes, though some should be avoided. These tropes reinforce attitudes and stereotypes that are either unhelpful or harmful to race, gender or sexuality or have been overused so much that they drift into cliche territory.
Character Tropes To Avoid
Damsel In Distress
The trope that women are constantly victims in need of saving is tired and demeaning. Characters being in precarious or dangerous situations is fine, but try to conjure up a way of making them capable.
Femme Fatale
Femme fatale characters are limited to sexy women who are bad business. From the Song of the Siren to Fatal Attraction, women have constantly been portrayed as the downfall of countless innocent men. Naturally, this is not a helpful or empowering attitude to have towards gender stereotypes.
The Chosen One
‘The Chosen One’ trope has two major issues. The first is that it is one of the most overused and cliche tropes in the world of fiction. The second is that it is problematic in its message; asserting that you are either born a hero or you’re not, dismissing the idea that actions and decisions decide what sort of character you are.
Characters Trope To Subvert
The Dumb Muscle
So often relegated to the role of loyal sidekick, often in a limited, comic relief role, showing there is more behind the muscle is a great way of subverting the ‘Dumb Muscle’ character trope. A tragic backstory can be used to explain their focus on beefing up, and exploring a hidden motivation or secret plan can demonstrate there’s more than first meets the eye.
Loving Mother
Loving mothers are constantly shown as having the patience of saints and are happy to give away their last penny. Part of this trope is that they do this without complaint, but one way of subverting this would be to inject a striking injection of self-doubt or even resentment for a character to explore.
Action Heroes
Action Heroes are still character tropes dominated by ripped handsome men who are dashing, proactive and impossible not to root for. Sadly, this is another trope in dire need of some fresh interpretation, so why not explore a different gender or a more empathy-driven individual who attempts to avoid violence during their escapades?
Character Tropes For Flat Characters
Loving Pet
How is it that a loyal pet always seems to know when their owner is having a bad day? Having a pet snuggle up to a character when they are feeling low or in a difficult moment can encourage readers to build empathy with them.
Grumpy Receptionist
Anyone who has ever had to book a doctor’s or dentist appointment will know this character all too well. The receptionist who guards access to the specialist behind their desk, these characters are often just in one scene, but being completely on-point with how infuriating dealing with these people is for your characters is something every reader is going to relate to.
Controlling Boss
If your story is set or heavily features a main character’s workplace, their boss is more than likely going to need to be a rounded, developed character. However, if the action takes place outside their workplace, there’s the possibility of including an oppressive boss trope as a means of leveraging more pressure. For example, your main character may need a few days off from work but is refused the time away by their boss, throwing another unwelcome complication into the mix.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
