45 Master Characters (10 page)

Like the Father's Daughter archetype, Margo Channing (Bette Davis) in
All About Eve
is strong, stubborn and proud. She is a natural leader.

What Motivates the Father's Daughter?

The need to know, understand and belong are strong motivators for her. She wants desperately to fit in with the boys and prove she's better than most women.

Any challenge that allows her to use her strength in strategizing will grab her attention. She won't tolerate anything disorderly.

She needs to be self-sufficient and independent, but she likes to know there's a powerful man nearby to fall on “just in case.” She likes how the goddess Athena helped Achilles reach his goal but also wanted him to be of service to her.

Competition is one of her great passions, especially when it involves sharing the risk within a team so she doesn't have to be the only one to fail. If she loses, the entire team loses and she won't be left alone to pick up the pieces.

How Do Others See the Father's Daughter?

She's neat and professional in appearance. Even when she's at home alone she wears nice neat clothing; it may not be the most comfortable thing to wear, but appearance counts.

To others she seems unemotional because she's always cool and calm in a crisis. She appears to be calculating something behind intense eyes.

She has a hard time letting loose in front of others. Her home is the only place where she can truly relax. She has some playful games and hobbies hidden in her closet. She enjoys indoor activities best.

Developing the Character Arc

Look at your character's main goal in the story and then at the fears you've selected to use against her. What does she need to learn to help her overcome her fear? Does she need to learn how to live in a remote town in order to save her law firm? Does she need to lose an important account so she can save her boss's career?

Very often a Father's Daughter needs to get back to nature to ease her stress and regain her health. She needs to learn that being a woman is OK, and she doesn't have to do everything herself. Perhaps being “one of the boys” isn't that important. See the film
Baby Boom
as an example of the Father's Daughter who has to give up her career, move to a house in the country and raise her dead relative's child.

What happened to her at an early age to make this archetype dominate her personality? Did she see her mother trampled on by men and swear she'd never be that weak? Did her father have all the control in the family? Was she forced to stay inside and play alone as a child, going into her head and out of her body?

To grow, this archetype is best paired with one of the following:

The Artist —
can teach her about creativity and letting go in the moment.

The Seducer —
can open her sexuality and teach her how to have personal relationships with men.

The Destroyer —
can teach her about raw female power.

The Scorned Woman —
hates other women, such as mistresses, so much she can be an example of how ridiculous it is to hate all women.

The Matriarch —
can show her female power within the family and teach her traditional values.