Hi, I think I read some where that Immaturity/ Childish is a Character Flaw. (Makes females likable, but males unlikable) Any examples? I mean, is it as simple as, making the character act silly? Like, at a funeral, the character is being silly? Are there any good examples? And TV/Movie/Cartoon characters that has a character who's Immature/Childish? I just can't think of any! Thank you so much! P.S. I Think I might want to make my 18 year old female have this flaw. Thank you everyone.
I always loved Tennessee Williams Babydoll - it's a 50's movie based on his play about a thumbsucking teenage bride.
It's not just being silly. It can be quite a number of things. Self-centeredness, for instance: "me me me me me I want this now I want you to only care about me me me me me me me." An inability to understand the world. THings like that.
Childishness can also be seen as a virtue, in terms of innocence and wonder. Really, any trait can be applied as a character flaw if it impedes relationships and growth. Tom Hanks' character in Big has childish qualities that are both endearing and frustrating. He approaches the adult world with a sense of curiosity and playfulness, yet he is unable to engage other adults in a mature manner.
I agree that it's more than just being silly. It's a lack of perspective. They can't see beyond their own needs and wants. Part of growing up is accepting responsibility to others. And that doesn't necessarily mean having children.
Wow! " Really, any trait can be applied as a character flaw if it impedes relationships and growth." Well said! I never thought about that. Thank you so much for sharing that! That truly opened my eyes! These are really good responses, thank you! Hmm, sounds like being Naive or Sheltered.
I think acting childish can also mean being needy...wanting attention no matter what they need to do to get it. This can turn into being a whiny person, and it's even worse if they interrupt someone in the process. I've seen one of my "mature" friends do this to her mom while she's having a serious conversation. She tapped her mom on the shoulder until she listened. Being rude was "childish" in my eyes. Another thing I think of a childish character doing is throwing tantrums and fits. Even adults can act like children sometimes if they don't get there way and storm around. Add throwing things and you've got it! Just my two cents, I agree with all the other responses too.
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing this! That's very interesting!! Writing is so cool and fun! Everyone, feel free to join and share! Thank you so much! I would have never thought about these things.
I would recommend thinking in terms of two distinct characteristics: childlike and childish. Childlike encompasses the openness, imagination, and wonder of childhood--the things we often reign in (perhaps to our own detriment) as we get older. Childish touches on the basic narcissism of childhood--the inability to see very far outside of our own wants and needs. We also reign this in (hopefully) as we grow older so that we can better cope with the world, interact effectively with others, and see other points of view.
This. Someone being "childish" at a funeral might, say, sulk and whine because he/she wants to do something specific after the funeral and others don't want to, or might brood over stupid drama while completely failing to recognize the somber grieving that's taking place.
I want to add - what is considered "immature" also depends from culture to culture (even sub-cultures within cultures may have vast differences).Being a person who tries to "fight for what is right no matter the consequences" for instance, is considered immature in Asian cultures because Asian cultures value communal rather than individualistic values, so while the "fighting for what is right" attitude is considered fine in, say, the West and particularly America, it's considered immature in Asia because the rationale is that only kids would be stupid enough to do that sort of thing without thinking about the consequences and whether society agrees with them or not. That's a more drastic example, but as I said, it may vary even within cultures. I'm pretty sure there's big differences between, say, old-school Deep South vs. ethnic minority New York City vs. SoCal.
Alright, well, McDOnald's, ANYTHING can be a character flaw - really it all just depends on the rest of your story. Perhaps your character being immature will turn out to be a virtue - allow her to see things in a way all the stilted adult characters do not see them. Perhaps being a tittering surgeon will end up being to a patient's benefit, if it allows her to think quickly and act even quicker. Personally, I think the term "flaw" is highly overrated and means nothing. It is subjective. What one person considers a flaw could be seen by someone else to be valuable. What is more important than any one character's so-called flaws, is the conflicts they will face. What effect will the trait have on the decisions they make, and how will that shape your story? I think you are focusing on the wrong thing. Creating a character profile is great, but it is not your story - it just may aid you in the telling of it.
Plus a character flaw doesn't necessarily have to impact relationships either. It can effect that person in moral ways, how they deal with stress, their emotional stability, and several ways that doesn't necessarily effect relationships.
For examples, if you watch the tv showFriends you can see a few different types of behaviour in action that could be described as immature: Joey: silly, simplistic, quite childlike Rachel: Spoiled, materialistic Chandler: Fears commitment/getting into a serious relationship
