List of female stock characters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A stock character is a dramatic character representing a type in a conventional manner and recurring in many works[1]. The following are such fictional female archetypes and stereotypes. A distinctive example of each is provided.

Stereotype Example
Actress  
Assassin Nikita
Aunt Aunt Agatha
Avenger The Bride
Barmaid Carla Tortelli
Bimbo Kelly Bundy
Bitch Alexis Colby
Blue stocking  
Bond girl Pussy Galore
Bride  
Bunny boiler Evelyn Draper
Catgirl Catwoman
Childhood sweetheart Winnie Cooper
Cinderella Cinderella
Clown[2]  
Companion Sarah-Jane Smith
Cook Mrs. Bridges
Courtesan Inara Serra
Damsel in Distress Rapunzel
Dancer Vicky Page
Dark Lady[2]  
Daughter Becky Conner
Diva  
Dominatrix  
Dumb blonde Sugar Kane
English Rose  
Fairy Tinkerbell
Fairy godmother  
Feminist  
Femme Fatale The Vampire (Theda Bara)
Fishwife Roseanne Conner
Gamine Mathilda
Geisha  
Girl next door  
Girlfriend  
Girls with guns[3] Trinity
Goddess  
Gold digger Becky Sharp
Gossip  
Goth Nemi
Governess Jane Eyre
Grandmother  
Groupie  
Guardian angel  
Halfbreed Harlot[2]  
Harridan  
Heroine Buffy Summers
Hooker with a heart of gold Elsie Tanner
Housekeeper Mrs. Hudson
Housewife  
Ingénue Christine Daae
It Girl  
Jewish-American Princess  
Jewish Mother[4] Beatrice Bellman
Lady Lady Bracknell
Latin Lover[2]  
Land girl  
Lesbian Ellen
Lolita Lolita
Love interest  
Madam  
Madonna  
Magical girl Sailor Moon
Maid Rose Buck
Matron Matron
Mermaid The Little Mermaid
Mistress  
Model  
Mother  
Mother-in-law Endora
Musician  
Mouse  
Movie star  
Nag  
Nanny Mary Poppins
Nymphette  
Nerd Girl Willow Rosenberg
Newly-wed Betty Spencer
Nun  
Nurse  
Old woman  
Older woman Mrs Robinson
Orphan Little Orphan Annie
Pantomime dame Widow Twanky
Peasant  
Personal assistant  
Pilot  
Princess  
Prostitute Fanny Hill
Protective Mother[5]  
Queen  
Saint  
School diva Cordelia Chase
Schoolgirl  
School marm  
Scientist  
Scold  
Secretary Miss Moneypenny
Servant  
Shrew Katherine
Singer  
Sister  
Slut  
Soothsayer  
Spinster  
Spoilt brat Violet Elizabeth Bott
Stewardess  
Stripper  
Suffragette  
Switchboard operator  
Teenager  
Three Fates  
Tomboy George Kirrin
Trophy wife  
Typist  
Ugly duckling  
Urchin Eliza Doolittle
Valley Girl  
Virgin  
Waitress  
Weird Sisters  
Wicked stepmother  
Widow[6]  
Witch Wicked Witch of the West

[edit] References

  1. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, <http://dictionary.oed.com>. Retrieved on 3 May 2008 
  2. ^ a b c d Clara E. Rodriguez (1997). Latin Looks: Images of Latinas and Latinos in the U.S. Media. ISBN 0813327660. 
  3. ^ Diane Waldman, Janet Walker. Feminism and Documentary, 109. ISBN 0816630070. 
  4. ^ Rachel Josefowitz. Jewish Mothers Tell Their Stories: Acts of Love and Courage. ISBN 0789010992. 
  5. ^ David Wiegand (Saturday, April 19, 2008), Son goes to war in 'My Boy Jack', SFGate, <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/18/DDBK1056K5.DTL> 
  6. ^ Carlton, Charles. "The Widow's Tale: Male Myths and Female Reality in 16th and 17th Century England". Albion 10 (2): 118-129. The North American Conference on British Studies.