Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Caregiver

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.

The Caregiver

DESCRIPTION
Caregivers are compassionate and put the needs of others first. Their role is to help, protect, and provide emotional support for characters they care about or feel responsible for. 

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings), Molly Weasley (Harry Potter)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Affectionate, Appreciative, Calm, Diplomatic, Empathetic, Gentle, Kind, Loyal, Nurturing, Observant, Optimistic, Patient, Perceptive, Protective, Supportive, Unselfish, Wise

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Fussy, Gullible, Perfectionist, Subservient, Worrywart

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Providing a warm welcome
Seeing to the needs of others
Being a calming presence when emotions are activated
Asking questions to show interest and encourage others to open up
Providing food, comforts, a place to stay, etc. when needed
Standing up for others (especially those in need of advocacy or protection)
Being able to read people and their intentions
Putting their own desires or needs on hold
Acting as a teacher or paternal/maternal figure
Showing unconditional love and support

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Misunderstandings where their actions are misunderstood
Dealing with people who are entitled and expect help rather than appreciate the gift of it
Setting boundaries with others 

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Has their own busy life outside of care-giving
Is an extrovert with a variety of interests and friends
Channels their caregiving in an unusual way, like being a fixer for people who have been wronged by others, specialized in matchmaking,

CLICHÉS TO AVOID
The caregiver who sits at home, waiting to be needed
The fretting, anxious caregiver
A caregiver whose identity begins and ends with helping others

---

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.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.