What is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl?

Literature explores many different characters, but one that has become a favorite to most audiences, and even protagonists, is the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. This is a female character that is quirky, eccentric, and whimsical in their own unique ways. They are the fantasy girl that aides the male protagonist in his transformation. They tend to end up saving the male characters from themselves.

The most important thing to remember about these characters – they are true examples of being and loving themselves. They tend not to care what others may think of them. Their fantastical and optimistic views of life seem to be ironically realistic. Although they may be there to serve the protagonist and help them through their journeys, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl kind of makes the adventure the fun and outgoing experience we all love to read.

Who are these Manic Pixie Dream Girls?

This character is popular throughout literature and can be recognized throughout decades and genres. So, who are some of the free-spirit guides that we may recognize?

Daisy Buchanan, from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, definitely has the “fantasy woman” and whimsical aspect of this character trope. She’s flirty and is basically the entire fantasy of the novel, especially in Gatsby’s eyes. However, her carefree attitude does lead to the demise of a few characters in the end.

John Green gives us Alaska in Looking for Alaska. Her charm lies in her wit and beauty, and her desire to swing on swings. She is the perfect example of helping the protagonist trope. She helps Pudge out of his shell and everyone seems to be in love her.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower introduces it’s protagonist, Charlie, to the beautiful and underly-complicated Sam. While she may be older than Charlie, she is still young. However, she seems to have a lot of life experience which makes us love her even more. She is humble and whimsical, and her intelligence is celebrated . . . along with her history of dabbling in the promiscuous lifestyle and illegal drugs.

Some may argue, but Luna Lovegood is a genuine MPDG character. She is literally introduced as “Looney” Lovegood. While her quirks may seem a bit off, she gains the trust and friendship of Harry Potter. She is ruthlessly true to herself and can’t help but advise Harry throughout the series. She is courageous and whimsical and a true friend.

Another character to mention is Augustus Waters. While the Manic Pixie Dream trope is usually represented by female characters, Gus really gives these girls a run for their money in John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. Whisking Hazel away in spur-of-the-moment adventures and unlit cigarettes and “okays”, Hazel and the audience falls in love with his carefree existence.

Extinction or Expansion for the Manic Pixie Dream Girl . . .

A lot of times, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl or Boy is written by male writers. John Green seems to really love the trope as they are featured in most of his novels. However, a lot of times because of the male gaze, this character really only seems to exist for the male protagonist. The MPDG/B doesn’t have a strong character developments or personal traits other than helping the guy of the story. So, this character trope has gone through some criticism throughout the decades.

Does that mean we should kill off these characters, though?

If we don’t like the narrative, then rewrite it – right? Sure, there are some MPDG/B characters that could use a little more personality. They should probably also find some new names to use other Daisy who have green eyes, and they don’t always need to be obsessed with flowers.

The great thing about this character trope is that it’s mostly seen in YA Literature and therefore can be so useful in showing the younger generation a great example of being true to oneself. Being carefree is great, to a point, but it’s even better to give young people the ability to read about characters who are not only helping others, but themselves. A character who is also learning and dreaming and finding value in others and themselves. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl/Boy is a great trope because it proves that staying true to oneself and one’s beliefs is a positive and endearing personality trait. Even being able to show that sometimes opinions and values can change and still mean something.

Hopefully we can all find the greatness in our quirks and the fantastical in ourselves, just like a true Manic Pixie Dream Girl/Boy can.