The lovable rogue is a fictional
stock character, often from a
working-class
The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colo ...
upbringing, who tends to recklessly defy
social norms and
social convention
A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated, or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms, or criteria, often taking the form of a custom.
In a social context, a convention may retain the character of an "unwritten law" of custom (for e ...
s, but who still evokes
empathy
Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Definitions of empathy encompass a broad range of social, cog ...
from the audience or other characters.
Description
Character stereotypes
The lovable rogue is generally male and is often trying to "beat the system" and better himself, though not by ordinary or widely accepted means. If the protagonist of a story is also a lovable rogue, he is frequently deemed an
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...
. The lovable rogue's wild disposition is viewed not as repulsive and alarming so much as exciting and adventurous. Some examples of this include: Snide or arrogant remarks, brawn over brains (yet challenging calls to action with wit before brawn), using their
gut instinct
Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognition; ...
s to get out of hostility if personal profit is at stake, perhaps they
love themselves more than women, thinking fast and talking faster, as well as having aspirations for a better life. The lovable rogue is generally regarded as handsome or attractive and his daredevil attitude further makes him sexually desirable to other characters. He often has a fiery temper and is
streetwise
Streetwise may refer to:
Knowledgeable
*Streetwise, possessing knowledge of youth culture, also called "street"
*Streetwise, possessing know-how (practical knowledge), as opposed to ivory tower or book knowledge, knowledge on how to succeed throu ...
—possessing practical knowledge—usually having self-taught and never been educated in a formal setting.
Motives and morality
Lovable rogues are not the standard paragons of virtue because they frequently break the law or seem to act for their own personal profit; however, they are charming or sympathetic enough to convince the audience to root for them. As with the case of
George Wickham
George Wickham is a fictional character created by Jane Austen who appears in her 1813 novel '' Pride and Prejudice''. George Wickham is introduced as a militia officer who has a shared history with Mr. Darcy. Wickham's charming demeanour and ...
in ''
Pride and Prejudice
''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...
'', authors may even intentionally write them that way in order to hide the fact that they are a
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
from readers until this information becomes necessary to
plot
Plot or Plotting may refer to:
Art, media and entertainment
* Plot (narrative), the story of a piece of fiction
Music
* ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava
* The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003
Other
* ''Plot ...
.
Although they appear at first to act only for personal gain or to break the law needlessly, lovable rogues are often justified in these actions later on due to some ethical motivation that had not yet been revealed at the time or, at least, have the capacity to atone for their wrongdoings. Many lovable rogues are simply prone to being misled when making ethical decisions while others who appear to act unethically actually maintain a flexible and complicated but legitimate code of ethics.
Despite his common external appearance of selfishness, foolhardiness, or emotional detachment, the lovable rogue may in fact strongly associate with a highly idealistic belief system and understand the concept of a
code of honor A code of honor or honor code is generally a set of rules or ideals or a mode or way of behaving regarding honor that is socially, institutionally, culturally, and/or individually or personally imposed, reinforced, followed, and/or respected by cer ...
so highly valued that it transcends normal social constraints such as conformity, tradition, or the law. This sense of an internalized, personal code is usually what makes the lovable rogue lovable, since it serves to confirm that he is moral whereas he may have appeared at first glance to be immoral. The lovable rogue, thus, is not a villain, because he has either a sincere, strong sense of morality (though he may be unwilling to expose it) or has the definite potential for establishing such a moral sense. In addition, his tendency to violate norms may be regarded as a positive trait—having a highly individualistic, creative, or self-reliant personality.
See also
''Similar characters''
*
Outlaw (stock character)
Romanticised outlaws are stock characters found in a number of fictional settings.
This was particularly so in the United States, where outlaws were popular subjects of newspaper coverage and stories in the 19th century, and 20th century fiction a ...
*
Social bandits
''Rogue-related articles''
*
Eavesdrop
Eavesdropping is the act of secretly or stealthily listening to the private conversation or communications of others without their consent in order to gather information.
Etymology
The verb ''eavesdrop'' is a back-formation from the noun ''eaves ...
*
Defector
*
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identiti ...
*
Status symbol
A status symbol is a visible, external symbol of one's social position, an indicator of economic or social status. Many luxury goods are often considered status symbols. ''Status symbol'' is also a sociological term – as part of social and soci ...
*
Bad boy (archetype)
The bad boy is a cultural archetype that is variously defined, and is often used synonymously with the historic terms '' rake'' or ''cad'': a male who behaves badly, especially within societal norms.
Definitions
The stereotypical "bad boy" was d ...
*
Rake (stock character)
In a historical context, a rake (short for rakehell, analogous to " hellraiser") was a man who was habituated to immoral conduct, particularly womanizing. Often, a rake was also prodigal, wasting his (usually inherited) fortune on gambling, ...
References
James Huneker wrote of Francis Wilson portrayal of the lovable rogue
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovable Rogue
Male stock characters
Stereotypes of working-class men