Damsels in Distress: Are they that bad?

[matt0044]

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rLfENrnsoQ


It's inevitable that in an action oriented story is going to involve characters being outmatched. However, when it comes to female characters, this has been something of an ongoing debate. Especially when some of the characters in question have fans who'll defend them to the death.

As the video describes, it shows that damseling isn't bad so much as how it's handled in the narrative. But how do you guys feel about it when it comes to what you've written and what you've read.

 

[diamondpearl876]

Feel free to add a prefix to this thread - we've got ones for discussion threads, help threads, and worldbuilding threads now.

Anyway, you're right in that action-focused stories involve characters being outmatched. In general, obstacles and conflict are essential for character depth and development, whether it's a story or a movie or something else. The damsel in distress trope can be used to that effect. The term automatically implies a female character, though, and while sexism isn't quite as extreme as it used to be, it still exists... and it's all too easy for someone to interpret the trope as inherently sexist, thus any use of it, well written or not, is a disservice to females to them. :\ Personally, I've seen it used in a fair bit of fantasy novels, but I can always name off the top of my head a ton of positive traits the female character possesses as well. Don't think I've written it in my own works.

 

[Gama]

I haven't watched the video in its entirety, so apologies if I misrepresent or repeat etc.

From what I did watch of the video, I agree, but I think the way this video argues that damsels in distress can be good is by redefining what a damsel in distress is.

The reason the traditional damsel in distress is bad is because they just sit around, waiting to be rescued, but that's not how people work. As the video quite rightly explains, real people would actually come up with their own plan, their own resistance, their own attempt at self-rescue. What's more: this is unlikely to match up in a helpful way with whatever external plans are occurring.

The video calls this a damsel in distress done well. I'd question whether this is still a damsel in distress at all since they are not sitting around saying "save me".

I suppose if the question is simply "Can it be OK to have a (female) character need rescuing by another (male) character?" my answer would be "yes" provided the character being rescued is actually a character, has a clear backstory, has their own personality, continues to exercise whatever agency is afforded to them in the situation in which they find themselves.

You're quite right that characters being outmatched is going to happen, but it is (or should be) extraordinarily rare for characters to be absolutely outmatched to the point where there is nothing whatsoever that the "distressed" character can leverage in a resistance/rescue/escape attempt of their own.

 

[LightningTopaz]

Look no farther than the original damsel in distress in gaming--Princess Peach.

In many of the newer games, she undergoes intel gathering missions to help Mario out (the first two Paper Mario games pull this off wonderfully) At the pivotal moment in Paper Mario 64, she actually helps you in the final battle.

 

[ZDaemon09]

Moving a post I made from Serebii over here because this is something I did in the fanfiction Through the Sands We Go

The damsel in distress scenario served as the introduction to Team Snagem into the plot.

Sun/Elio got knocked out by a Gloom's sleep powder, Team Snagem wanted both him and Lillie discuss with them on how to take down Cipher. (Elio was in a good kidnapping spot, Lillie wasn't... so they sent an invitation for her while they kidnapped Elio.)

Elio spent most of the distress scenario telling Snagem why what they did was dumb and at that point they were to play along. (Because he and Lillie need people to take down a particular admin, the Snagem guys were competent to pull a kidnapping where most of Cipher's goons have failed.)

Lillie on the other hand barged into the Snagem base metaphorically chewing bubble gum and kicking butt with her Eevee turned Leafeon.

It's a post pokemon sun and moon fanfic, that's why Lillie is taking levels in kicking butt. (This isn't the only moment in the series.)

Making the usual male lead the damsel is a nice twist to the normal trope, especially if the other way around is heavily expected.

If it is a female.... they better actually do something awesome while in distress, other wise it is going to be cliched.

 

[Juliko]

Oh yeah, this trope. Like I say with everything, it depends on the execution. If done well, damsels in distress aren't bad. But if written badly, then it can be cliche and trite. I try to avoid writing damsels in distress as being completely helpless and unable to do much of anything unless it cannot be avoided. I usually try to have my characters at least make an effort to either save themselves or try to find some way to make use of their situation. If they straight up don't do anything or refuse to, then it gets annoying.

I suppose if the question is simply "Can it be OK to have a (female) character need rescuing by another (male) character?" my answer would be "yes" provided the character being rescued is actually a character, has a clear backstory, has their own personality, continues to exercise whatever agency is afforded to them in the situation in which they find themselves.

Yes to all of this. Totally agree with you, 100%.

 

[matt0044]

it is (or should be) extraordinarily rare for characters to be absolutely outmatched to the point where there is nothing whatsoever that the "distressed" character can leverage in a resistance/rescue/escape attempt of their own.

Yeah, I always feel like some writers focus a bit too much on the rescue team when seeing the rescuee trying to bust out and meeting them halfway felt like a better compromise. Hell, in regards to where they are, it could be used for some good worldbuilding opportunities. Maybe the damsel escapes and disguises themselves as one of the grunts for the enemies, learning about who they are up against more closely.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The problem isn't that the rhetorical damsel is in distress or that she's a damsel, the problem is that the trope of damsels in distress is another trope about women with no agency. You can have just about anything happen to your characters so long as they remain characters, and not objects who make no decisions and take no actions and serve chiefly as a plot point or reward for the protagonist. Always give your characters choices and have them make a difference to their own lives - it's not just a defence against bad and sexist tropes, it's just good writing.