Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Benefactor

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.

Benefactor

DESCRIPTION: This character takes the protagonist under their wing with the aim of helping them succeed. This aid often comes in the form of gifts, such as a monetary contributions, providing a place of shelter, or paying for necessary schooling or training.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Magwitch (Great Expectations), Aunt Josephine March (Little Women), James Hobart (The Goldfinch), Dan Cody (The Great Gatsby)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Ambitious, Appreciative, Cautious, Confident, Decisive, Discreet, Generous, Idealistic, Independent, Kind, Optimistic, Passionate, Protective, Quirky, Resourceful, Sophisticated, Supportive

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Controlling, Extravagant, Haughty, Hypocritical, Manipulative, Martyr, Materialistic, Needy, Obsessive, Possessive, Pretentious, Pushy, Resentful, Self-Indulgent, Stubborn, Temperamental, Vain

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Being helpful
Wanting to do good things with their resources
Being generous
Offering to pay for things
Seeing the potential in ideas and people
Being optimistic
Enjoying the finer things in life (good meals, nice clothes, etc.)
Being culturally sophisticated
Controlling people through their money and/or influence
Seeing their contributions as investments
Vetting people and organizations carefully before aligning with them
Sharing their knowledge and expertise with others
Cultivating a public persona
Feeling strongly about a cause
Wanting to be a rescuer
Enjoying being needed
Believing money can solve most problems
Giving conditionally, with strings attached
Giving as a way of gaining love, acceptance, or power
Believing their “generosity” should automatically engender respect and esteem
Making a show of spreading their wealth around

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being generous with someone who doesn’t appreciate it
Supporting someone (or a cause) who turns out to be dishonest or even criminal
Losing all their money
Being blackmailed
Getting too personally involved in a cause so it clouds their judgment
Wanting to support several causes but only having resources for a few
Losing control of the cause or person they’re supporting
The motives behind their philanthropy (their character) being questioned

INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH
Being philanthropic to try and make up for past wrongs, but it doesn’t work
Becoming aware of ulterior motives for wanting to help others (because it makes people like them, it makes up for other shortcomings, etc.)
Searching for a deeper purpose in life
Suspecting they’re being manipulated or played by a recipient
Learning about a worthy situation that would require a great sacrifice, and being unwilling to make it
Wanting to live vicariously through the person they’re supporting
Doubting the true motives of friends, family members, and associates; suspecting those people are there because of the benefactor’s wealth
Believing that giving in secret is the right thing to do but wanting the recognition that comes with giving publicly

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Only gives anonymously
Has a quirky or eccentric hobby
Comes from an unusual cultural background
Is young
Is a benefactor to others but a miser at home with their own family
Has an atypical trait: paranoid, vindictive, whimsical, worrywart, simple, etc.

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
The benefactor who starts out selfish and undergoes a significant transformation
The benefactor-mentor who has is wise and all-knowing and has all the answers
A benefactor who shows up at precisely the time they’re needed (deus ex machina)
The one-dimensional benefactor with no recognizable flaws

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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