Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Matriarch

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

DESCRIPTION: A female elder who rules over her family, tribe, or clan.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Catelyn Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire), Lady Jessica (Dune), Mother Abagail (The Stand), Madea Simmons (the Madea franchise), Abuela Alma (Encanto)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adaptable, Ambitious, Analytical, Bold, Calm, Cautious, Confident, Decisive, Disciplined, Discreet, Focused, Inspirational, Just, Loyal, Nurturing, Organized, Persuasive, Protective, Resourceful, Responsible, Traditional, Wise

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Confrontational, Controlling, Cowardly, Fanatical, Humorless, Inflexible, Manipulative, Obsessive, Oversensitive, Paranoid, Perfectionist, Pushy

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Being a wise guide and counselor
Teaching her family about moral standards
Taking care of the needs of her family
Knowing what she believes and standing firm on those ideals
Making important decisions for her family
Being able to make hard choices that are best for the group
Not being afraid to take risks
Clinging too tightly to her beliefs and not listening to other points of view
Seeking to hold onto her power rather than consider changes that should be made
Being unwilling to ask for help when she needs it

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
A family conflict that makes it difficult for her to maintain objectivity
A family member rejecting the matriarch’s vision or leadership and striking out on their own
An external threat that must be overcome, such as an epidemic or war

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Is an authoritarian traditionalist instead of a wise and nurturing counselor
Loves to meddle in the personal lives of her family and friends
Is blind to deep personal flaws, such as being manipulative or closed-minded
Has an atypical trait: Timid, Playful, Callous, Violent, Sleazy, Quirky, etc.

CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
The all-knowing wise woman without obvious personal flaws who doesn’t grow or change in the story
A self-sacrificing giving tree whose only purpose is to serve her people

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

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