Weak male characters: the good and the bad (and other stuff about introverted characters)
ā”Ā Hey, howdy, hey, Iām @lighthearted.writer on Instagram!Ā ā”
Before you read this post, be sure to read whatās below first!Ā
In no way am I trying to be discriminatory about male vs. female characters, and I apologize if any of this comes across the wrong way. I tried to write it in a way that will get my point across to everyone, but please forgive me if something I said comes across the wrong way :)
The whole point of this post (more than male introverts, which is kinda the main thing) is that I want to see a change in the way introverts, in general, are written.Ā
This might sound ridiculous, but recently I was watching the behind the scenes videos for the Disney movie āChicken Littleā. They said that Chicken Little was originally supposed to be a girl. Instead, they changed him to a boy because his personality was introverted and shy, plus the fact that heās smarter than most other characters in the movie. Disney wanted to prove that not just girls can deal with bullying and stuff like that, but also young boys. And while yes, theyāre totally right, I think that creators should take a break from including weak male characters for a while. (Itās not just male characters who are introverts, ya know!)
I agree with what Disney has to say, but wait:
Ā Itās an awesome thing to include all different types of characters with unique personalities and diverse strengths... just please hear me out.Ā
I think that thereās this stigma where we need to include these weak characters who are introverted, small, or have this cute and nerdy nature. By the end of the story, theyāll have grown into someone who can make a difference or something like that. Hereās the thing though:
Introverts are rarely exactly how we portray them in books!Ā
We all need to recognize this. Having a cute character isnāt good enough. People donāt like characters based on how the act (most of the time, anyway). Itās what the character does in the story that matters in my opinion.Ā
Iāve seen this happen mostly with male characters lately, and itās gotten on my last nerve. Of course, I believe that all genders can be introverted or whatever, but why have males been targeted in thisĀ āspecialā way lately?Ā
I canāt even remember the last book I read where one of the girl characters was an introvert, save for nerdy (except Hermione, but that was a looong time ago!)
So make really introverted girl characters instead! NO, donāt do that! Well, sure, you can.Ā Iām not going to tell you to stop writing introverts because of course, they exist. (I am one!) Just stop making them so fragile.Ā
Instead of making a character who is quiet all the time, make a character whoās quiet, but has a group of people they talk to. Give that character a place to spill their thoughts. A saying Iāve always liked wasĀ āThe quietest person in the room is the one with the most knowledge.ā Give them something to be a part of!
Hereās a little list of traits that make introverted characters more admirableĀ ā¬ļø
Use these instead of just making your introvert cute or shy. PLEASE donāt let those be their only traits!
Strong female characters. Awesome thing. But why are they overruling male characters these days? Let me make something clear: KEEP WRITING THEM.Ā
Iāll read or watch this really cool female character that makes all the decisions and protects a lot of people. Sheāll be a warrior, a princess, a queen, one of the magical folk. But what do the guys in the story do? Absolutely nothing. They just exist alongside her.
Male and female characters should not overrule each other. All men are created equal, and so are women too... but theyāre still equal to each other, arenāt they? (does that make any sense? I donāt know...)
Stop giving guys lesser roles than gals. Let both of them be the weaker one. Let both of them be the introvert. Let both of them fail. Let both of them succeed. Let both of them cry. Let both of them outline a plan that will save their people.Ā
Give the girls a break from saving the day, and let the guys have a go.
Anyways, just something I randomly thought of in ceramics class today :)