Your question for the day

[kate_nepveu]

Are Trent the Uncatchable and Vash the Stampede cross-cultural manifestations of the same archetype—goofy-seeming pacifists who do improbable things and around whom improbable things happen? If so, what other manifestations are there?

Comments

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Jackie Chan?

[the_rck]

I know there are others, but I'm blanking right now.

I really wish that Moran had published more books.

[schulman.livejournal.com]

Doctor Who, although he's not as pacifist as he used to be. (I just watched the Christmas special, in which he blows stuff up real good.)

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

I'm not familiar with these characters--but is this the Holy Fool, or something close to it?

[snarp]

Rurouni Kenshin and Xuanzang (original Sanzo)?

[rysmiel.livejournal.com]

The thought that gives me is that Trent is only a short step sideways from Jame of the Kencyrath. I'm not sure that goes anywhere, though.

[paoconnell.livejournal.com]

Very common.

Coyote in lots of Indian stories. Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner in the cartoons. Jhary a' Conel in Moorcock's Eternal Champion series. Andy Devine, Pat Buttram and other comedic sidekicks in the old western and adventure serial movies. All of the Marx brothers, especially Harpo. As far as that's concerned, Curly in the Three Stooges. Mat Cauthon early in Wheel of Time, until he gets his head filled with memories of battles by the 'finn and becomes a general.

Lots of similar characters listed here, in case you haven't found it yet:

http://www.paganlibrary.com/reference/holy_fool.php

[larabeaton.livejournal.com]

I always lump Trent in with Miles Vorkosigan. They both look at seemingly hopeless situations in a sideways manner and come up with unimaginable solutions to them.

[treetelling.livejournal.com]

Kai Lung, maybe? Possibly not goofy-seeming enough. Ooh, I know! Fraser from Due South!

[xeger.livejournal.com]

I'd think of the archetype as the trickster myself - and while the trickster archetype isn't what I'd necessarily think of as a pacifist, it'll reliably favour tricks over violence as an answer to whatever issues come up (and make issues if it's bored, of course... just to see ... )

Manifestations

[(Anonymous)]

Other characters that manifest the quality/qualities of the goofy pacifist...How about the Stainless Steel Rat, James Bolivar diGriz? He seems to want to do not harm and still be a happy-go-lucky (and free) fellow in the end.