Should I Use Stereotypes?
Hey there! I am writing a story with five protagonist from five different countries (Namely India, South Korea, Thailand, Ireland and America) in the real time. What happened was, they were participants in a global survival show with TOP5 becoming a musical group.
So while all of them have different ways for everything. I have done plenty amount of research and watched dramas etc to get the character voice right. And while watching them, I formed some opinions which are true but controversial and negetive. Is it.safe to include them?
Secondly, I have a few stereotypical things portrayed as well. Like the Indian one is good at Maths and the South Korean one is more pretty than handsome. But aren't stereotypes there because of a reason? Is it not because we can actually feel it when we see it?
It might sound like the base of my characters are these stereotypes, but they aren't. A few quirks are stereotypical but of course they have thier own judgement in the society and stick to that without thier nationality playing role.
Stereotypes, Tropes and Writing Utility
You seem unusually fixated on justifying your use of stereotypes. Remember: Stereotypes in writing are a politically targeted form of tropes and all tropes fall on a spectrum.
This spectrum spans the utility range from “Tropes are tools” to “Tropes are lazy, boring writing.”
I think stereotypes exist more on the latter end of the spectrum. You are the only person who can tell us if you’ve chosen to have these characteristics for your protagonists as part of their character creation because it makes sense for their experiences and personalities, as opposed to just saying “Well the Indian one should be good at maths because they are Indian and the Korean one should be good-looking because they are Korean.” The former decision is using a trope as a tool, while the latter is a stereotype, and generally best avoided.
I am always wary when a person says they have a “True but nevertheless controversial and negative opinion” and then doesn’t tell me what that is. It gives me a sense that they:
Are aware subconsciously the opinion is not necessarily objectively true (Which is usually the case: an opinion is an opinion because it is subjective)
Aren’t telling me what they think because they are scared of offending others.
Believing #HotTakes are perfectly fine! Here is a small sample of mine:
Cauliflower rice is horrible.
American comic books are boring.
Japanese idol culture is an abomination.
However if one is not comfortable sharing these opinions with others in this kind of informal capacity, does it make sense to put pen to paper and share them with a much wider audience? I think the more confident a person is in their own beliefs and the better boundaries they have with others, the easier it is to speak honestly with conviction.
Finally, I should note that dramas are poor sources for research, particularly if they are your only sources of research. Think of dramas as being about as accurate a depiction of real life as a model’s photo in a fashion magazine is representative of how most people look. Try instead consuming books, newspaper articles, essays and other less idealized media from the countries your protagonists are from. I would even recommend vloggers and youtubers tackling local social issues (Excluding social media influencers).
The Perils of Confirmation Bias
To note about stereotypes: Stereotypes are built from a variety of things, including cultural basis/constructs, outsider perceptions, and often, othering and discriminatory sentiments. Everyone has bias, and stereotypes fall into that bias by creating a reasonable (or unreasonable) archetype that our brains can sort others into. You might be referring to confirmation bias when you say, “But aren't stereotypes there because of a reason? Is it not because we can actually feel it when we see it?” When you think of someone with a stereotype in mind, you’re going to shift towards thoughts that confirm the stereotype way more often than anything else. Opinion formation after the confirmation of stereotypes is, as Marika said, incredibly subjective and biased, especially if the sources of the stereotypes don’t include actual interaction with people.
About nationalities: nationality and ethnicity play varying roles in identity formation world wide. In certain situations, a person may choose to ignore their nationality and cultural background in favor of assimilation, where in others, they may choose to emphasize it as a part of their identity. All people have their own personalities without that influence, but for some it may be necessary to include differences in cultural background to establish the bases of personality. Something to keep in mind.
As Marika said, you’re the only person who can determine whether the characters fit the stereotype for Doylist or Watsonian reasons. If you can, analyze why you chose these traits for your characters from a plot perspective along with a focus on the characters themselves.
