Chapter 5: I Want To Talk Tropes: The Male MC
DISCLAIMER: I am being particular with regards to english translated online novels. And for those new to terms MC means Main Character.
So as I have mentioned in the previous chapters, at the beginning of my interest in reading these online novels, whenever I come across a new chapter of a novel I have already read, or a new title of an author I know or do not, I would immediately pick it up and start reading.
I read and read nonstop until I would throughout the day into the night if I had the time and as much as I can spare time to read I would, if only I did not get tired I would think to myself sometimes.
I read and I read a long list of works that seem to never end. I finish one whole novel and another two interesting ones would then take its place and so I continue to read, but being the person that I am it did not take long for me to be able to determine that many of those stories I have read even with all the twists and turns did have certain characteristics in common and that those characteristics, I realized, were not to my liking really.
So let me talk about one of the stereotypes that I respectfully, think, does not compel a story to become better but diminishes from it. I am talking about the relationship between the main character, supporting characters, and deus ex machina.
For those who do not know what deus ex machina is, it's basically a plot device that you can use if you wish to kind of force a character or characters into a scenario where they otherwise, if you supposedly let your story flow in the natural order, would be unlikely to encounter. By the way, the encounter could be good for the character or it could swing the other way.
So what is it about MCs and deus ex machina, to use internet language, that buttered my croissant? And that is where these Male MCs come in. At first, I would only ever notice this trope in the more action-heavy chinese martial arts and fantasy online novels but then eventually I would also notice snippets of in japanese light novels turned online.
And it triggers me in a way because of the way that they, in my opinion, abuse the dynamics of basically, character dynamic and encounter if for a lack of better words. What happened is that these stories just basically hand things to the main character, in this case the male protagonist, and make him succeed because that was intended flow of the story- that he succeeds against 'all odds'. But here is the thing, for me about that 'all odds' train of thought, because based on my what I have already read the story is then forced to revolve around the main character himself, and there is no more room for developing characters and environment separate from the person. It then becomes whoever the person meets, they either love him or hate him, and that only death or some form of ultimate separation can appease either parties. And many times they still had to make the male protagonist out to show-off just to encourage a conflict, good god, that truly butters my croissant.
And thus the need for deus ex machina, again because of the thought that he is fighting against 'all odds', he needs to be handed things almost all the time, I am talking about good luck encounters for the most part, with almost no justification, shallow, if not no grounding throughout the storytelling process, the kind of 'and out of nowhere he survives life and death' scenario.
So is there is no more silver lining in this plethora of online novels that make use of the abused stereotyping and trope?
I would say no, because in my opinion, I am sure that there are handful of online novels out there that do the story, its characters and their relationships justice.
For me a stories that for once, do not revolve around the main character, like the entire world is out to get him, and in fact makes the main character is simply one of the many people living, and breathing in the world created, trying to survive and succeed, and that we just so happen to look at the world through that person's lens, I think makes for a more compelling story.
That the other characters in those stories are not put in a bunk of 'they are out to get the MC and they hate him'. That they interact with said MC, they live their own lives, have other agenda and also strive survive in a world that is as unforgiving to them as is it is to the MC, I think makes for a more compelling story and storytelling.
And that the dynamic between the protagonist, supporting characters, and their encounters be given justice.
I would like to know your thoughts as well in the comments below whether you agree or disagree with my perspective. And until then peace.
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