Stereotypes in novels

[Adagio]

I've been thinking for some time of how stereotypes (I avoid cliche as too cliche;) ) are used in novels. Characters or settings. For ex.:

a redneck truck driver

middle-age women

a librarian vs. a sexy chick

a sulky, uncommunicative teenager (aren't there nice teenagers anymore? Sorry for "nice!")

a depressed, aging detective

the alpha male in romance (and gals blessed with miles-long legs); all men are tall (I'm faulty of this). The ideal male figure? No baldness? No reading glasses? Mine wears glasses, but that's as far as I went outside the picture of a male character. Am I afraid that a shorter guy would not please the reader (female reader?)

a sleepy small town

The list goes on and on. You could add other examples. How to avoid stereotypes? How to add a twist, make the characters different, more interesting and special, outside their little drawers in which they are supposed to fit? It's so easy to fall into the trap. On the other hand, all those types of personalities do exist in real life, as well as sleepy small towns. I was thinking, for instance, how nice to find a book of poetry on the dashboard of a truck. It all depends of the creativity of the writer. Yet, I found that many authors chose the easy way, slamming a character (or setting) that fills the cliche.

Your thoughts are welcome.
Thank you,
Adagio

[IrishScribbler]

I myself am guilty of writing stereotypes, but I also (at times) try to break them down.

In a short piece I'm working on for an application, I'm writing a stereotype of an extremely conservative Protestant father. However, this stereotype is intentional. The MC even makes reference to him seeming unrealistic.

[RG570]

In the case of the alpha male in the romance, isn't that what the market demands?

I think stereotypes are fun to play around with, as long as you're conscious of it and not being lazy.

[NeuroFizz]

As long as the characters come across as real, as interesting, and as three-dimensional, who cares if they fit into classes-of-the-average. Sometimes writers work too hard to make their characters "quirky" and unusual, and it shows.

On the other hand, a well-done "quirky" and unusual character can be a delight to a reader.

[veinglory]

I think that a stereotype done well is an archetype or an everyman. There are 'types' within our human diversity.

That said, playing against type can be interesting. I recently came acorss an erotic story in which the protag had a smaller than avergae 'endowment'. It was a good story and reminded me that you don't have to keep doing the 'usual' thing in writing characters.

[PattiTheWicked]

I don't think there's anything wrong with alpha males at all. It's hard for a girl to respect someone who kisses her a$$.

[Shadow_Ferret]

I have a stereotype in my novel. He's an old curmugeonly farmer complete with farmer-speak and leathered skin and farmer's tan. But he's a lovable old coot who steals the few scenes he appears in.

[Vanatru]

the alpha male in romance (and gals blessed with miles-long legs); all men are tall (I'm faulty of this). The ideal male figure? No baldness? No reading glasses? Mine wears glasses, but that's as far as I went outside the picture of a male character. Am I afraid that a shorter guy would not please the reader (female reader?)


OMG, that's me....how'd you know. ;) Except for the ideal male figure, reading glasses, and being tall part. Otherwise, I'm it.

As for sterotypes. Like you said, sometimes you can't help but write characters or places that are sterotypical. IMO. Specially if you draw from real world events/places/people. To me, the thing that makes them differ from cliche garbage, is the detail put into them to make them stand out from the other cliche garbage.

I agree with the others who mentioned that the quirks can make setting or characters fun and different even if they are based off cliches.

[lfraser]

How did middle-aged women get on the list? :D

[alaskamatt17]

My MC at the moment is basically a sterotype of a 1930s-40s doctor, but the story is set in modern times.

As far as the sleep town thing goes, that would be a horrible pun in the case of my current novel -- the town is literally asleep. about 70% of the population contracts a disease that knocks them all out for a couple weeks, during which they experience the same shared dream.

[KiraOnWhite]

Hmmm...stereotypes...

The reluctant hero

The kid who somehow helps hero in times of need

The shady helper

The hot warrior chick

The mentor

The guy who thinks everything is stupid

The silver-haired guy who angsts about life

The perfect kind of girl ( cute, pretty, sweet, beats up guys she likes, etc.)

The tomboy who wears skirts ( weird, I know)

The cross-dressing girl

The sarcastic guy

The guy who likes the word 'beautiful'

The ditzy girl who somehow defeats the evil overlord

The brash hot-headed hunk

....and the list continues. I usually do a crossover of stereotypes, the bloodlusting crossdresser anyone?

[Adagio]

How did middle-aged women get on the list? :D

I finished a book the other day. Guess how the above said ladies appeared as background for the MC -- the miles-long legs girl (it's nothing wrong with long legs, or with the alpha male, don't get me wrong, but don't get me started on characters-caricatures). As veinglory mentioned, archetype or the everyman character is fine. Not the caricatures imho. I heard of editors rejecting ms. because of cliches.

[lfraser]

Okay, you're right. If I have to read one more book about a grey-haired, menopausal heroine with saddlebags around her thighs instead of slung over her trusty steed, I'm gonna scream.

[maestrowork]

What's wrong with middle-aged women? I see them all the time. :)

[beezle]

What's wrong with middle-aged women? I see them all the time. :)

Some of them are known to read, too. A lot.

[Judg]

What's wrong with middle-aged women? I see them all the time. :)
Nothing I hope. *coughing and looking in the mirror*

[lfraser]

Right. I mean, if I have to be a stereotype, could I not be a sort of Amazon-like goddess?

Phooey. Middle aged and a cliche. Double-whammy.

[KiraOnWhite]

When you say middle-aged, do you mean 'the mentor' types? Because from what I've read so far, they're mostly old men...

[Raphee]

After reading all the stereotypical examples given above; my new non stereotypical MC is going to be a blind dog with no tail. I mean whats left.

[KiraOnWhite]

Don't give up, there's still more original people left. ^_^ The princess who acts all lesbian-y, anyone?

[Gabriel]

When you say middle-aged, do you mean 'the mentor' types? Because from what I've read so far, they're mostly old men...
Yay, I beat a stereotype, the mentor character in my story is an all powerful manic slightly feminine teenage male. Weird huh?

[ShapeSphere]

Stereotypes:

Two protagonists who start the novel by disliking each other, over time they come to respect each other or in some cases fall in love. Book ends. (It would be good to do this in reverse for a change).

Rags to riches character. Starts off poor, has adventures, becomes rich. Happy ending.

Villain who always gets come uppance. (Would be better if they got away with it.)


^ All taken from successful novels.

[JoeEkaitis]

Most favorably reviewed middle reader and young adult books seem to include at least one abusive male relative, usually the father.

Loving, caring fathers are much rarer in books than they are in real life.

[JoeEkaitis]

Stereotypes:

Two protagonists who start the novel by disliking each other, over time they come to respect each other or in some cases fall in love. Book ends. (It would be good to do this in reverse for a change).War of the Roses?

[maestrowork]

Orphans.

[maestrowork]

War of the Roses?

And the "Break Up" with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.

[ShapeSphere]

War of the Roses?
You mean the Warren Adler Novel? Not read it. Just remember the film.

Sure, you're right. It's an exception I think, not the norm.

[Sandra Gail]

I think that certain characteristics of a people (fat Italian mama in the kitchen, truck driving lesbian, tap dancing black man) become a stereotype because they are powerful. Twisting them into something you laugh at or are repelled by is a way of trying to diminish their power.
Instead of avoiding a stereotype, it can be interesting to write a stereotyped character in a way that reveals the original strength (redneck - a person who understands the land, doesn't mind breaking a law or three, and can fix anything) that somehow challanged the status quo enough to cause the stereotype to be formed. Of course, this is risky because if you get it wrong, you are really wrong.

[aruna]

How did middle-aged women get on the list? :D

I was wondering that myself. Am I suddenly a stereotype ?:cry:

[Adagio]

I was wondering that myself. Am I suddenly a stereotype ?:cry:

:welcome: He he! I am a middle-aged woman. The question is: to be or not to be a stereotype.

Okay. Here is my story: A few days ago I had some friends (male and female) over to my apartment for a drink and a cozy chat. Two were in their early 20s. At some point we talked about how women of a certain age are portrayed in novels and we reached the conclusion that there is a cliche. On the ridicule side. When you step into a novel there must be a lady (an administrative assistant, or a nurse or whatever other profession) who is portrayed in a certain way, usually not positive, definitively not attractive. The negative aspects of aging comes first. I have no problem with this. It's natural to age. There is nothing you can do about it. It's not a disease. My philosophy is shaped out on the Max Ehrmann's "Desiderata": "Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrending the things of youth." My friends and I were laughing, promising to ourselves not to fall into the stereotyped image found in novels.

I can't come up with an example now. I should browse my books but I don't feel like doing it.

I remember a tabloid about Martha Stewart's trial. One of the local tabloids had a big picture up front of Martha's feet. She was wearing ankle boots with heels. The author of the article commented something like ... I can't remeber the exact words, but it went within the lines: "Martha, you're not Cristina Aguillera to wear this kind of boots." I gasped. I just bought myself a pair of pointed, heeled boots that looked so nice on my feet. Oh dear! You see, I am not supposed to wear this kind of boots. Too old. My feet should be shod in sturdy, laced-up, flat shoes, according to that fashion-policewoman who wrote the article (and who echoed a certain cliche). I'm not going into the ethical aspects of that article and the meanness of media when it comes to fallen stars.

My next stereotype on the list: librarians.

As it happens, I'm reading now a novel written by a bestselling author who is funny and smart. Her first novel has been a major hit and made into a movie in which one character was played by Meryl Streep (she won an award for that role). In this novel, the MC runs up the subway stairs and bumps into a woman who looks like a school-librarian (negative encounter, negative description).

Question: how does a school-librarian look like? What image comes to your mind when you think of a librarian? Is this image influenced by the media, movies and novels you've read?

I found this article by Catherine Voutier: "The Librarian as Hero -- a brief look at depictions of librarians in contemporary culture." Illuminating. Originally published with HealthInform, the newsletter of Health Libraries Inc.

"Librarians own a well known and hard to shake stereotype. The stereotype of the librarian conveys an image of a spinster who wears her hair up, wears sensible clothes and shoes, and who may or may not wear glasses. She has a staid personality, which can include obsessive and fussy traits" writes Ms. Voutier.

She also quotes an article in the US press where is used "the stereotype to describe the reaction of librarians to the possible enforcement of this Act: 'Librarians have recently let down their hair -- usually wrapped in a tight bun of course -- to become some of the most vocal opponents of the Bush administration ...'"
(quote from: Lowry, Rich. "The ideological librarians." Townhall.com Sep.22, 2003).

Is it necessary to add that in a long ago article the author wrote about Laura Bush that she doesn't look like a mousy librarian?

I should read Josephine Carr's romance novel, Dewey Decimal System of Love and see what's in there. Apparently a spinster librarian is transformed into a swan by love. Happy ending.:D

[jess b]

On librarians--The Time-Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger, if I remember aright) features a librarian that flagrantly defies the stereotype: he's male, for one. He's also a time-traveling punk-rock afficiondao with excellent burgling skills. And a drinking problem. The fact that he was a librarian somehow added to the charm.

You make a good point, though, Adagio. What does a librarian, or a middle-aged woman, look like? The idea that there is one "ideal" (in the Platonic sense) type of these characters is bad enough, but what's worse is the implicit cultural assumption that we all know what someone means when s/he says that s/he saw someone "who looked like a librarian." The fact that these mythical librarian-types are all women says something, I think, about sex stereotypes and how pervasive (and destructive) they are.... All this is just to say that, when I find these particular stereotypes unthinkingly evoked in fiction, I am immediately very much turned off.

Of course, as has been said, playing with these stereotypes can be a fun and really cool subversive gesture. Rock on.

[Raphee]

There are stereotypes and then there are more stereotypes.

Every novel good, bad or ugly that I have read has its share of stereotypes and why not.
Its because Stereotypes are formed or moulded in our minds by social and cultural factors in play. They exist because we see them in abundance around us and that means the reader can affiliate with them much more easily without going out of his comfort zone.
If I am going to have a middle aged woman in my novel she might or might not be stereotypical, but she has a role to play and her character has to fit in that role. Same applies to the tall legged women or the handsome male etc.
But if i put all of them in the same room in my novel then I have painted myself into a problem. I think overdoing stereotypes is the main concern; but we sure can't live without them.

[Adagio]

There are stereotypes and then there are more stereotypes.

But if i put all of them in the same room in my novel then I have painted myself into a problem. I think overdoing stereotypes is the main concern; but we sure can't live without them.

:Clap: Wonderful! There is a character in my WIP who reflects a certain category: my MC's mother is an immigrant, and I have to present her individualized, yet with certain characteristics common to that group.

Of course, as has been said, playing with these stereotypes can be a fun and really cool subversive gesture. Rock on.

Jess, good point. Thanks!

[Cassiopeia]

Maybe there are stereo types because we are all so typical ;)