how to avoid fridging female characters

The moment works because Mr. Crepsley is an established character there to do more than just die; his death isnt just a loss to the protagonist and a sympathetic cue to the reader, but a loss to the world and a tragedy in its own right. [3] He tells them about the happiest moments the two have gone through together, and how she was as a person. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. However, a wish that she told him after birthing their son was that she wants for him to be treated like a little prince. Fridging can be an ugly blemish on fan-favorite stories or make lesser ones look even worse. His only goal is to keep his family name alive, and to properly raise his three children. Several contributors to the site and the original list later became comic book creators and entertainment industry professionals: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The pair . The how isn't important. Of course, it has since become a facet of feminist criticism across pop culture with a universally-accepted definition. Hopefully I did okay. This is more of a side character, but Im still developing his own story. One way to invert this could be to place a strong woman in distress, only for her to save herself, and perhaps her would-be rescue party as well. Its not the sole motivation for the carnage that follows, but its a specific enough act that Wick pursues individual revenge against those who have it, killing multiple people during the opening of John Wick Chapter 2 in a symbolic reclamation. If theres any advice you can give, I would thoroughly appreciate it. Just remember you can be vulnerable, unreliable, uncertain, or even physically weak and still be a strong character. Since protagonists in general fiction (and especially the pulpy, action fiction where fridging is most commonly used,) are so often straight men, women are often the most obvious tool for cheap motivation. Last night, St. Louis voters, or should I . The other subcategory is Stuffed Into The Fridge, which is when harm inflicted to a character of either gender is done purely to cause another character trauma. Do you enjoy the simplicity of a quick fridging? It can be handled poorly, and certainly there are reams of instances where it is. Im currently writing a book in which the MCs wife dies 2/3s into the story. To give its villain, Thanos, some shades of humanity, the writers killed a developed, capable female character. As long as the discussion can also be plot or character relevant, you can justify a few lines detailing this idea how losing a partner really is one of the biggest things that can happen to you, etc. One of the subtler pieces of advice about a protagonist/antagonist relationship is that each is rendered more interesting if their goal isnt to simply defeat the other character. Is there an effective way of killing off a female character, with a male protagonist, and it NOT coming off as a little misogynist? I self taught myself since fourth grade, and am waiting for my caretaker (I was raised by my grandma) to get me a professor. I want my book to be cliche in a fun way. To make sure this child ends up developing as a person, and out of that buy me this entire mall mindset. HoennDude 3 yr. ago. Hence, his parents didnt give him time to at least get therapy before forcing an arranged marriage onto his shoulders. I guess Im going to be one of those that Fridge my protagonists love interest. Women in Refrigerators or fridging women is a term coined by Gail Simone, which is used to refer to the disempowerment or maiming of female characters. When the specifics of the event dont matter only that they traumatize or enrage the protagonist the character who actually gets fridged becomes an object. Not all of these women are poorly written, but it is a red flag. The main character of the film is male, and this act does end up propelling him to exact revenge in the film's climax. WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN, This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Women in Refrigerators (or "Fridging" for short) is an unfortunately popular plot device in storytelling where female characters are killed off or brutally harmed for the sole purpose of having an impact on a male character. Thankfully, it was always a blunt instrument, and authors are free to take the opportunity to explore more integrated and expressive forms of motivation for their characters. There's something wrong with your question. V from V for Vendetta was imprisoned and experimented on, Miss Havisham was jilted at the altar, David Balfour from Kidnapped was cheated out of his inheritance. In the movie John Wick, the premise is simple: the title character is the most capable assassin ever, forced out of retirement to right an unforgivable wrong. Manage Settings How to Spot a Poorly Written Female Character Tip: Being a "Mary Sue" isn't about basic details like eye color or sad backstories. And yet, Simone's original question still hangs in the air, unanswered, as to "why they were thrown in the wood chipper in the first place. I think it needs this push to get my MC where he needs to be. She wants to cure the disease that killed her mother. With over 20 years of industry experience, Lucy is an author, script editor, and award-winning blogger who helps other writers through writing workshops, courses, and her blog Bang2Write. Male Mary Sue characters are sometimes called Gary Stus or Marty Sues. Utilizing female characters as assets to their male counterparts contributes to the sexism women are subjected to their entire lives. He isnt even violent at all and never has been. So the thing to remember if you want to avoid fridging someone is that every character, no matter how small their role, exists as a unique person. They still held high power over him. there was any way to make a female and write her exceptionally well. Simone received numerous e-mail responses from comic book fans and professionals. He has also given a lot of her clothing to a person who was a parental figure to his wife in the past, since she was a child. It refers to an incident in Green Lantern vol. By using our site, you agree to our. His son grew up to be a huge brat, and throws tantrums even as a teenager whenever he doesnt get whatever he desires, or, when nothing goes his way. I feel that the death is essential and makes sense narratively, but I also don't want it to fall within the category of fridging. I personally can't stand seeing someone slowly tortured. Remember, men don't need women to be happy either. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Thank you for the advice! Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The name Women In Refrigerators, usually shortened to just fridging or fridged, was coined by comics writer Gail Simone in 1999. Over-the-top attempts to give them attention, sympathy, or respect might be a sign of uneven writing. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Women_in_Refrigerators&oldid=1148200018, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Brian Joines Writer of the independent comic, This page was last edited on 4 April 2023, at 17:43. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4b\/LR22-D-Past-Pipers.png\/460px-LR22-D-Past-Pipers.png","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4b\/LR22-D-Past-Pipers.png\/728px-LR22-D-Past-Pipers.png","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":485,"licensing":"