Mr. Boyfriend

[Tariel]

What do you do about a male character who is totally overpowered by his female love interest? Tariel (Mr. Boyfriend's wife) is the last of a super-powerful type of mage--she is ruthless, powerful, and angsty. She's killed countless people, including Mr. Boyfriend's father. She's been depressed, nearly killed several times, and...I believe she has been suicidal at least once.

Mr. Boyfriend, on the other hand (and btw he DOES have a name, I just have a thing about using it outside of the story), can't do much of anything. I mean, he's good with a sword, but he can't take on entire armies and live to tell about it. Actually, neither can his wife, but she comes a LOT closer.

Am I putting too much emphasis on traditional gender roles? Or is this not really an issue? Do any of you guys have suggestions on what I can do to help this, if necessary?

 

[Lessien]

I don't think you're over-emphasizing gender roles. Of course, I'd have to read your story to know for sure, but from the way you described it, you're just writing your characters' stregnths and weaknesses realistically.

If you feel like you need to change the whole Tariel/Mr. Boyfriend situation.....I don't know. You could make MB more powerful, or maybe make it so their relationship is strong and healthy despite Tariel's amazing powers. That would offset the whole "Honey, I can kick your butt" situation.

 

[CelticRose]

Or emphasize/exaggerate the weaknesses. Personally I would steer away from the sort of Characteristics Tariel has just 'cause I think it's too easy for blendings to happen & both characters end up insipid.

 

[sunstruckdream]

well...it's hard to tell without reading it. do YOU like it? if you do, forget the rules and the stereotypes and just do your thing. if you don't, do some more character development for him. give him a quirk, a talent, a strength, fear, hangup, whatever to make him more interesting. just remember...it's your story...do it the way you like it best

 

[Tariel]

He's as developed as any of my characters (ok, except for Tar but she's a special case)....and it's not about me having a problem with it....HE has a problem with it. He's not just going to sit around and watch his wife take on the world, and he's not going to be able to live with himself if she keeps protecting him instead of the other way around. He's scared, and he's weak--he's only human after all. How could he ever think he could keep pace beside he mage girlfriend? Sure he loves her, but what good is love going to do against an enemy like the one they face? Perhaps the best thing he ever did for her was die. Maybe it would better if they never fall in love, then she could end the war sooner, and without despair.

I think he's going to break up with her.

 

[Lessien]

Sounds to me like their relationship adds an interesting dimension to the story. Tariel falling in love with a guy who feels guilty about not protecting her...the war doesn't end as quickly as it could....Tariel's left in despair....If you like the angsty stuff, I say leave it. Personally, it sounds like something I'd like, but if you don't like it, take it out. Whatever you think is best for the story.

 

[Tariel]

Sounds to me like their relationship adds an interesting dimension to the story. Tariel falling in love with a guy who feels guilty about not protecting her...the war doesn't end as quickly as it could....Tariel's left in despair....If you like the angsty stuff, I say leave it. Personally, it sounds like something I'd like, but if you don't like it, take it out. Whatever you think is best for the story.

I do like it all....most of the time. He messes around with the storyline a lot and gets on my nerves, but overall I think he's awesome. (and once he comes back from being dead he's a lot more confident)

 

[NeoScribe]

If he can't protect her from armies maybe he can prtoect her from enemies closer to home. If T's as powerful as you've stated she'll have alot of enemies or others who want to control her by playing with her feelings and emotions. Mr. B could be the one who guards her from those sorts and gets rid of them so Tariel doesn't go crazy.

Just my thoughts anyway. Kind of a hard problem, my two most powerful characters are females but both are not in any relationships (poor villanesses).

 

[Tariel]

If he can't protect her from armies maybe he can prtoect her from enemies closer to home. If T's as powerful as you've stated she'll have alot of enemies or others who want to control her by playing with her feelings and emotions. Mr. B could be the one who guards her from those sorts and gets rid of them so Tariel doesn't go crazy.

Just my thoughts anyway. Kind of a hard problem, my two most powerful characters are females but both are not in any relationships (poor villanesses).

Possibly. Thanks. Let's see...there's defiantly somebody out there trying to control Tar through her emotions, but he's a major villain--Tar's arch-nemesis, to be precise. He controlled her for most of her teenage years, but with encouragement from her now-boyfriend (they were just friends at the time) she managed to break free, and with his help she's been able to move past the emotional scars that her enslavement had left. In that sense, he's pretty much always been her emotional backing (something that he often overlooks), but because of her past, very few people are stupid enough to try to play with her emotions. But yeah....if they do he will definitely make sure that they won't be doing anything ever again....unless Tar beat him to it.

The thing is, he is most certainly very important to Tariel (it becomes very clear at one point that she cannot really live without him), and I --as the author--have no problem with his role. The problem is that HE isn't happy with it. He's not important in the way he feels he should be, and he feels that she deserves a husband that can protect her. What he doesn't realize is that he is the only one who can protect Tariel from her most deadly enemy--herself.

 

[Paladin Dave]

I'm not so sure I wouldn't feel a similar way. Hmmm... I really don't know what advice to give. Unless you can set up some situation where he and only he is able to save her, be it emotionally or through physical prowess(hey, how's about someone who is immune to magic, or can cast an Anti-Magic field?), where he can prove to himself that he really is useful/better than her in some respect, I can't think of anything else.

 

[Tariel]

I'm not so sure I wouldn't feel a similar way. Hmmm... I really don't know what advice to give. Unless you can set up some situation where he and only he is able to save her, be it emotionally or through physical prowess(hey, how's about someone who is immune to magic, or can cast an Anti-Magic field?), where he can prove to himself that he really is useful/better than her in some respect, I can't think of anything else.

He does prove himself to himself eventually

 

[Paladin Dave]

Problem solved.

 

[Tariel]

Problem solved.

It's in the meantime that he's got angst. Besides....he dies at some point in between

 

[sunstruckdream]

*cough*spoiler!*cough*
=p

 

[Tariel]

*cough*spoiler!*cough*
=p

I wrote it! I'm allowed to give out spoilers if I want to! Besides, it's a WIP, so any and all details are subject to change