What is a stereotype?
An oversimplified and widely held belief about a group or individual.
Breaking Down Stereotypes in Character Development
Stereotypes are commonly seen as lazy and reductive shortcuts to character development, locking a character into a set of predetermined traits instead of allowing them to grow and evolve naturally over the course of a story.
However, stereotypes can also be viewed as a starting point for a writer, a handy tool to establish a baseline for a character's personality before subverting or complicating it over time.
For example, a character who starts out as a 'dumb jock' stereotype could later reveal a hidden intelligence or sensitivity that challenges the reader's initial assumptions, while a 'nerdy' character could turn out to be surprisingly adept at physical activity or social interaction.
Ultimately, avoiding stereotypes in writing means seeing characters as complex individuals with their own unique experiences and perspectives, rather than defaulting to preconceived notions about who they are and what they can do.
Stereotypes have been used both positively and negatively in literature.
In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare employs the stereotype of Shylock as a greedy and vengeful Jewish moneylender, something that has been criticized as anti-Semitic. However, the play also complicates this stereotype by showing the humanity and motivation behind Shylock's actions, challenging the audience to consider the root causes of prejudice and discrimination.
Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is a powerful critique of the racial stereotypes prevalent in the American South during the early 20th century. Through the portrayal of Tom Robinson, a Black man unjustly accused of rape, and the white townspeople who refuse to see him as anything but a 'Negro', Lee exposes the devastating consequences of allowing stereotypes to go unchallenged.