章節 7: I Want To Talk Tropes: The Female MC
DISCLAIMER: I am being particular with regards to english translated online novels.
As I did talk in the previous chapters about male main character tropes that I, personally, had my misgivings about. In this chapter, I am going about a pervasive trope I have seen so for many of these online novels that has mainstay female protagonists.
A little backstory, I came across novels with female main characters a little later than the male main characters but do not get me wrong, it was still during the period that it did not mattered not the quality of the online novel, as long as it was a novel, I read it and I made no distinction.
After a while reading those novel, in this case those with female characters, I have also began noticing a little bit of stereotyping that made me back off of them for a little bit, And then from then on I would usually have my misgivings about reading one if I came across it, and that even if from a summary or synopsis standpoint, the story looks promising, I would still have my misgivings. And for spoilers, I am not sure myself if I would have any silver linings in this case. I just hope.
Then what is this trope that I am talking about that is giving me my misgiving about reading more of these online novels with female protagonists?
Well to begin with, it's not as if these stories with female MCs are not dogged by the same stereotype or stereotypes that affect male MCs because they most definitely are. The one dimensional characters that either love or hate, in this case, her. And if they hate her, only death or some other ultimate form of separation can appease both parties. And that deus ex machina thing. Those tropes do still exist in the story with a female MC.
But there is one more additional stereotyping that is added, to most if not all, female main characters, that I feel diminishes their value as a main character. And in this case it is not a stereotype in so much as it is characterization. What do I mean by that? Well, for many female MCs, it seems to me, they made out be more emotional and not like in the way male MCs are hot-tempered emotionally to make them out to be more powerful, I feel like the female MCs are made out to be emotional in a way that translates into showing some form of weakness. It is a very glaring stereotype when you talk about most martial arts and fantasy online novels whose authors are, no disrespect, chinese. Not so much authors of other nationalities but they are also not exactly blameless. I. particular, how women in these stories are portrayed in their interaction with, and need for one character in particular, that is the story's male lead.
Whenever our titular protagonist interacts with the title's male lead, who is often made out to be aloof and put it simply, does not at all about the her, it has to be done with an outpouring of weakness so much so that it gets the male leads attention. The question then goes why? Why the need for such vulnerability from a woman just to get a man's attention? I do not know. As far as I have known through all those stories with the female as a main character that, I have read, she does not show that kind of vulnerability to people separate from the male co-lead. She will not give an inch towards her enemies, and only seldom have I come across the her who actually confides in people who actually care for her - usually the bests friends. Always masking her weakness through a facade in front of others, but in the presence of that male lead, and would then proceed to act like a vulnerable animal, please give me a break.
The other question coming to mind is, why the need for a male co-lead? Can not the protagonist carry the entire story on her own? I do not know. And so far I have only come across one of them that I think probably did not require a male co-lead, and I am not even sure as I only skimmed theough a few chapters of the story once.
And there is still the case, for some, of a plainly forced encounter so that a romance could eben begin because if the story most definitely flowed naturally there would be none.
I will not be taking too much of your time, so in conclusion, I am not sure the reason for these stereotyping, is it culture? is it literary expediency? I do not know. But what I do know is this, I think there needs to be a rethinking of what female main character is, and what she capable of, in the storytelling on the internet. That would make for more compelling stories and I believe will make for a more fun reading experience.
Do you agree? Do you disagree? Let me know what you think in the comments. And until then peace.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票