The construct that I'd like to challege in mainstream culture is that good fictional writing requires stereotypical characters, or can be achieved simply through stereotypes. This is most prevalent not only in schooling where they emphasize the traditional hero and other types in the novels that you read in class, but also in popular culture, where the hero or anti-hero is pushed as "popular" or "desirable." I feel that too many novels, especially towards the younger generation. It seems that people are told that a sterotype is what makes a good novel, and then there is no attempt for character development, which then makes a bad story. I feel that it is creating a group of people who don't know how to make characters in stories connect with the reader, because though you may know what a stereotype is going to do, it is hard to make a connection to one. I feel that to have a good story, complex characters beyond simple stereotypes are required; or at least development of said stereotypes to try and make an attempt at an original idea.
Some search terms would be:
- Character development
- stereotype reception
- impact of stereotypes on story
- " of developed characters on story
Hey Jack,
ReplyDeleteI like this proposal a lot because I think we can use character stereotypes in fiction as way of thinking about how writing operates on a broader scale. For instance, what kinds of stereotypical, common, or "stock" language structures in writing are valued and what do we sacrifice when we give in to pressure to use them? One example of this is the rhetorical trope, a traditional arrangement of language which becomes stereotypical in that is used over and over, but is generally considered "good writing." See this link for some examples: http://rhetorica.net/tropes.htm. Irony, for example, is a rhetorical trope. So how do these, like stereotypical characters limit originality and complexity? So what I'd like you to do is not limit yourself just to studying stereotypical characters but try to make some connection with the idea of stereotypical writing that moves beyond the fiction/or creative writing realm. I'm excited about this. That should at least expand the different avenues of research and give you more material to work with. Good luck!