Hello Readers,
Today I’m participating in the Wyrd and Wonder challenge prompt, “Mixed Feelings”. I thought today’s prompt was a perfect opportunity for me to share a few Fantasy tropes I have mixed feelings about.
The Damsel in Distress
I know this trope is a prime example of sexism in fantasy, but…… If I’m being fully honest, I like the idea of being saved. I don’t have to do any of the work, and there’s probably a sexy hero involved.
The Hero Must Kill People/Commit Evil Deeds for the “Greater Good”
This is a trope I’ve recently grown uneasy about. I like my relatable assassins, redeemed murderers, and epic battles. I think having bloody conflict makes a story interesting and can raise interesting questions about how far a person will go to reach their goal; but I’m not sure I can get on board with the idea that killing people will solve anything. Especially when an author justifies their characters’ actions because they are doing it for “good” and not for “evil” like a villain might. You know the trope. The archetypical “Good vs. Evil” trope is often used to justify violence in fantasy. Until I saw Ursula Le Guin talk about fantasy I never considered that fantasy could be driven by anything other than violence.
I don’t think every main character needs to be a pacifist, but I do want to engage more critically in how violence is portrayed in fantasy going forward.
“Not like other girls”
I know this isn’t strictly a fantasy trope but, I’ve seen it permeate the fantasy genre more than a few times (cough, Twilight, cough). I used to love this trope because as a socially awkward teen it was comforting to see characters like me receive the spotlight. It wasn’t until I saw other people in the book community talking about this trope that I realized it had a vicious underlying message: that “other girls” were lesser. That rejecting femininity and other women was the exalted choice.
I’m still conflicted about this trope because I will always love a good misfit protagonist. My issue isn’t that the protagonist is different from other women, but that she views other women’s choices as vapid. I think it’s time I start analyzing a female MCs negative view of other women as a character flaw.
What are some fantasy tropes you have mixed feelings about?
Peyton
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Peyton
The ‘not like other girls’ thing always annoyed me – I think more female friendships is the answer! I don’t mind the damsel in distress thing either, haha, as long as there’s a balance. The girl shouldn’t always have to be the one doing the saving.
Catherine@the lazy hufflepuff recently posted…#Wyrd and Wonder: Mother figures in fantasy
Yes, I love books with great female friendships, and it definitely helps with the ‘not like other girls trope’.