Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Grotesque

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.

Grotesque

DESCRIPTION: A grotesque is a character whose deformities mask their likable personality and arouse pity and sympathy from others. They have extreme physical or behavioral features that can be unsettling, disturbing, or even repulsive. Because of this, grotesques can challenge preconceptions of what is beautiful and acceptable.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Quasimodo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Frankenstein’s monster (Frankenstein), Erik/the Phantom (The Phantom of the Opera), the Beast (Beauty and the Beast), Edward Scissorhands (Edward Scissorhands)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Alert, Cautious, Creative, Curious, Focused, Independent, Intelligent, Introverted, Loyal, Observant, Passionate, Pensive, Perceptive, Persistent, Private, Quirky, Resourceful, Simple

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Antisocial, Callous, Compulsive, Hostile, Jealous, Judgmental, Morbid, Obsessive, Paranoid, Possessive, Resentful, Suspicious, Uncommunicative, Uncouth, Volatile, Withdrawn

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Withdrawing from society and living an isolated life
Attempting to hide their deformity
Approaching new people and situations with caution
Expecting a negative reaction from new people
Obsessing about a person or ideal they perceive to be perfect
Obtaining a sense of connection by observing social interactions from a distance
Being alert to potential threats
Emotional volatility
Always keeping their guard up
Showing staunch loyalty to anyone who shows them kindness
Being possessive of a friend’s time and affection
Exhibiting extreme responses in socially awkward situations (shutting down, fleeing, lashing out physically, etc.)
Doggedly pursuing an objective that could soothe their pain
Making do with few resources
Having an active imagination and vibrant inner world
Fantasizing about what life would be like without their deformity
Being critical of others
Scorning the vanity of others
Suspecting that everyone is out to get them
Being slow to trust
Seeking revenge against those who have wronged them
Being driven to gain the advantages their deformity has denied them
Being morally corrupt

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Discovering their actions have hurt someone they care about
Being approached by someone who seems to be seeking friendship or romance
Facing a new social environment full of strangers
Discovering their deformity has once again kept them from achieving a goal or gaining fulfillment
A friend going absent or radio silent
Being put on display or thrust into the limelight

INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH
Feeling lonely and isolated but being too afraid to pursue relationships
Meeting someone who sees the beauty of the character’s soul but being unable to trust them
Wanting to meet a mentor’s expectations but lacking the tools to do so
Wanting to accomplish a greater purpose but being hampered by their deformity
Wondering if they’re being punished for their deformity���because of a past mistake, a character failing, etc.
Achieving public validation but not seeing themselves as worthy
Having to choose between gaining respect or doing the right thing

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Is obsessed with their own appearance despite their deformity
Creates beautiful art or does a lot of good in the world
Looks out and cares for others who are also minimized by society
Cares more about doing the right thing than having people like them
Has an atypical trait: vain, courteous, ethical, bold, pretentious, sophisticated, etc.

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
A grotesque whose physical deformity is used solely as a way to “other” them in the reader’s eyes
The character being “saved” by a romantic relationship
Tragic grotesques without agency to change anything about their life or situation
The grotesque as an irredeemable monster

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

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