No one likes incompetent characters, right? We like them to be smart, to figure things out without being told. Thing is, not everyone has a glowing IQ - which isn't a bad thing. It might make for a great story!
The Fool - A character who seems oblivious (or is) to everything that happens around him, but manages to complete the journey, win the heart of the maiden, or solve the crime with dumb luck.They are typically ignorant of the world's evils and are naturally good hearted. Karma abounds with them.
The plot of Forrest Gump (pictured above) pretty much revolves around this definition. Lovable, isn't he?
The Fool is a timeless trope, but a difficult one to pull off. The Golden Goose is the earliest example I can think of. The guy pretty much has it made, and yet this story has withstood the test of time and has been retold more times than can be counted. Not bad ... for a "Simpleton."
Got a crime to solve? No problem! Even a clueless individual can be lucky enough to join the police force (and become an inspector). Rest assured, they'll find the thief, even if their lead turns out to be A Shot In the Dark.Some Fools may come across as obnoxious while others may surprise us by helping to save the day ...
They could be anywhere in the world, be it stuck on a deserted island or wandering the plains of Russia.
The Fool can play a part of almost any story, across culture, race, and/or gender. Yes, the examples above are guys, but there are girl examples too, like Mihoshi from the Tenchi universe. They're just harder to find.
And in the end, we end up loving them anyway.
What other Fools can you think of? Do you have one in your story? Do you prefer salmon or trout?
I'm David, and, you know ... for kids!
Now wait just a gosh darn second. Neville Longbottom was no fool. If anyone was the lovable but sometimes foolish character in the Harry Potter books, it was Hagrid.
ReplyDeleteThat's the great thing about Neville. He started under the definition but gradually grew out of it. One of the many reasons I love his character so much. :)
DeleteHagrid fits perfect with The Gentle Giant, a different trope altogether.
...yeah, I think you've got me there. RATS!!!
DeleteA incompetent fool with a gun comes to mind. As an example, the character of Dewy Crowe on the TV show Justified.
ReplyDeleteThe guy is hilarious in his stupidity but give him a gun and the laughter ends.
and not crazy about salmon or trout. They both smell like, um, fish.
Yup, 'the ditzy blonde' is a popular fool character :)
ReplyDeleteI love this one. Very fun. Longbottom is a great choice as well as Gump. These guys always add a fun bit of humor to the show.
ReplyDeleteGump might be my favorite fool of all times. I can watch him over and over and over and never get sick of the movie.
ReplyDeleteI have someone in my book who is awkward but not really a fool. And I'll take smoked salmon, please!
ReplyDeleteI believe I know who it is ...
DeleteI wonder if Inspector Gadget would fall into this trope? I'm thinking Mr. Bean has to, right?
ReplyDeleteBoth are excellent examples! :)
DeleteI love Neville. He was an awesome character. I loved seeing how much he grew throughout the series. And I LOVE Forrest Gump. It's my hubby's favorite movie, so I've seen it a lot. You could say it's grown on me. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, salmon is my pick. YUM!
Rad idea of the Fool! I love all the example too...except for maybe Jar Jar, but that's Lucas' fault;)
ReplyDeleteNo fools in this current one, but you had some great examples.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Gump!!! I also love a clever person disguised as a fool like Colombo. Women have a harder time being endearing while being the fool. Society usually sees them as just being dumb.
ReplyDeleteThe fool has to be approached carefully or it may end up going bad. Rainman and Forest Gump did this well. But Sean Penn in "I Am Sam"...that movie was terrible. In this case...the fool was the bad choice and NOT entertaining.
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough one to pull off but sooo good when done well!
ReplyDeleteI was in the desert last week on the Bransforumers retreat - This was a really fun trope to come back to! Love the reference to Neville. :)
ReplyDeleteSmiling. Enjoyed that post. It does seem we do have room in our world for fools. It does take all kinds! :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd be able to pull off writing a fool; they'd probably come off as dumb if I tried, though they can definitely be interesting characters.
ReplyDeleteI love this! One of my favorite actors who does a stand up job at playing the fool is Bill Murray. He did did it wonderfully in What About Bob and also in The Man WHo Knew Too Much. Fun, David!
ReplyDeleteThe Man Who Knew Too Little is one of my favorite fools!
DeleteThis is so true. Love Gilligan! :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite 'fool' characters is the Fool in Robin Hobbs' Farseer Trilogy (we never do find out the fool's name) and I would think Phoebe in Friends qualifies, too. Interesting characters those fools but hard to write me thinks.
ReplyDeleteFrank Drummond-Naked Gun-love these movies so much. I have a character like that in my shelved MG novel, not the brightest but so loyal and sweet. Of course he is a grogoch not a human but...
ReplyDeleteOh, this is a hard one to think for. You've named all the ones I can think of. Though, I think Stephanie Plum (from Janet Evanovich's Plum series) is a bit of fool. Not so far as Gump or Gilligan, but I think she's a ditz who stumbles across everything.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure my mom's an outcast. She doesn't like Jar Jar Binks. He's everyone's favorite fool. It's probably because they didn't do such a good job with the Star Wars prequels.
ReplyDeleteNeville Longbottom was awesome in HP7. I remember reading the last book when he kills the snake and saying, "Really? Neville?!".
Merry and Pippin are good examples of this early on in the Lord of the Rings saga, too.
mattswritinglair.blogspot.com
-Matt
Ah but the fool can sometimes be the uncarved block, like Winnie the Pooh. He's a lovable fool yet everything always goes his way in the end. That and the Toa of Pooh always springs to mind when I see the archetype of the fool being discussed.
ReplyDeleteNeville...Forrest Gump...I think I'm a sucker for fools!
ReplyDeleteignorance is bliss and watching what happens is funny =)
ReplyDelete