Ingenue (stock character)
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This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (December 2007) |
The Ingénue (pronounced /ˈænʒənuː/) is a stock character in literature and film and a role type in the theatre, generally a girl or a young woman who is endearingly innocent.
Typically, the ingenue is beautiful, gentle, sweet, virginal, and often naïve, in mental or emotional danger rather than physical danger, usually a target of The Cad; whom she may have mistaken for The Hero. Due to lack of independence, the ingenue usually lives with her father or a male father figure (although in some rare cases she lives with a motherly figure). The vamp is often a foil for the ingenue (or the damsel in distress, for that matter).
In opera and musical theatre, the ingenue is usually sung by a lyric soprano. The ingenue stereotypically has the fawn-eyed innocence of a child.
The ingenue is often accompanied with a romantic side plot. This romance is usually considered pure and harmless to both participants. In many cases, but not all, the male participant is just as innocent as the ingenue is. The ingenue is also similar to the girl next door archetype.
Ingenue may also refer to a new actress or one typecast in such roles.
[edit] Examples
Christine Daae, the lead female from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The Phantom of The Opera, is referred to in the script, as an ingenue by the theatre's lead soprano, Carlotta.
Sandra Dee, played a virginal ingenue in many of her film roles.
Johanna Barker from Sweeney Todd
Hope Harcout, Anything Goes
Cosette, Les Misérables
Sandy Dumbrowski Grease
Amy Rose Sonic the Hedgehog
[edit] References
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