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| {{mergedisputed|tokenism}} | |||
| A '''token character''' is a character in a story, myth, or legend, who only exists to achieve the minimum compliance with assumed normality for the environment described in the story. For example, a ''token wife'' is a wife who has no depth of character, or identity of her own, but only exists because the character that she is married to is expected to have a wife. | |||
| A token character can also be used by writers to pay ] to rules or standards, when they otherwise have no intention of doing so, such as by obeying anti-] policies by including a '']'' character, who, despite being present often, nevertheless does nothing, and has no function in the ]. In this situation the creation of such characters is referred to as ]. | |||
| Token characters may represent various groups, which vary from the norm (usually white/heterosexual/physically attractive, frequently male), and are otherwise excluded from the story. They can be based on ] (], as well as ], ] or ]ish), ] (overweight or otherwise conventionally unattractive), ] (non-heterosexual) or ] (female character in a male-dominated cast). Token characters will either be relegated to the background or exhibit ] behavior, usually to render them inoffensive to readers or viewers. Such a character may also be disposed of relatively early in the story (either by being killed or voted off in a ] show) in order to enhance the drama while "conserving" the normal characters. | |||
| The "token black" character is ridiculed in the movie ]. In the movie, one character, when asked a question, answered: ''"I'm just the token black guy! I'm just supposed to stand here, stay out of the conversation, and say things like 'damn!', 'shit!' and 'that is whack!'"''. Later, he does just that. | |||
| The television show ] includes a token black character, aptly named ]. | |||
| {{socio-stub}} | |||
| {{lit-stub}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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