Boy next door
Encyclopedia
The boy next door is an archetype of storytelling
. He is often invoked in Western contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming, or "average" masculinity
. He is a young man with a sweet, shy demeanor who is just discovering his physical and spiritual strengths. The boy next door maintains his innocent wonder due to his charm, sincerity and preservation of virginity. He is never arrogant and mostly reserved. He is the male counterpart of the "girl next door
." An example of each is found in Thornton Wilder
's Our Town
, in the characters of George Gibbs and Emily Webb.
There is a set of typical relations he may maintain in the story. The boy next door is often, but not always, the protagonist
of a story. As such, his innocence, sincerity, and common origin will often be contrasted with the cleverness, hypocrisy, and privilege of the antagonist
. The boy next door may have a sidekick
, who shows somewhat less promise than the boy next door; this will serve to heighten his appeal by contrast. When the boy next door is a sidekick himself, he is often employed to contrast his fresh-faced innocence against the more world wise view of the protagonist. In this scenario, he will often do something well-intentioned but daring which puts him at risk, forcing the protagonist into a course of action to save him.
Often a femme fatale
or a girl next door
will be pulled between love for the boy next door and her desire for a luxurious life offered by the villain. A boy next door may serve as a love interest for a female protagonist. In this case, he is most likely someone the protagonist has known for most of her life, but, in the past, couldn't appreciate because of her age. As a love interest, the boy next door is always physically close, yet at the same time detached from, the protagonist. He is the sweet boy the protagonist sees everyday, a really great friend, or the perfect boy to bring home to her parents. He is very innocent when it comes to romance and is almost always a virgin. Because of his innocent manner, many erotic fantasies use the boy next door purely as a pretense behind which a real man is secretly very sexual.
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
. He is often invoked in Western contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming, or "average" masculinity
Masculinity
Masculinity is possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man. The term can be used to describe any human, animal or object that has the quality of being masculine...
. He is a young man with a sweet, shy demeanor who is just discovering his physical and spiritual strengths. The boy next door maintains his innocent wonder due to his charm, sincerity and preservation of virginity. He is never arrogant and mostly reserved. He is the male counterpart of the "girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
." An example of each is found in Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day.-Early years:Wilder was born in Madison,...
's Our Town
Our Town
Our Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
, in the characters of George Gibbs and Emily Webb.
There is a set of typical relations he may maintain in the story. The boy next door is often, but not always, the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of a story. As such, his innocence, sincerity, and common origin will often be contrasted with the cleverness, hypocrisy, and privilege of the antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
. The boy next door may have a sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
, who shows somewhat less promise than the boy next door; this will serve to heighten his appeal by contrast. When the boy next door is a sidekick himself, he is often employed to contrast his fresh-faced innocence against the more world wise view of the protagonist. In this scenario, he will often do something well-intentioned but daring which puts him at risk, forcing the protagonist into a course of action to save him.
Often a femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
or a girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
will be pulled between love for the boy next door and her desire for a luxurious life offered by the villain. A boy next door may serve as a love interest for a female protagonist. In this case, he is most likely someone the protagonist has known for most of her life, but, in the past, couldn't appreciate because of her age. As a love interest, the boy next door is always physically close, yet at the same time detached from, the protagonist. He is the sweet boy the protagonist sees everyday, a really great friend, or the perfect boy to bring home to her parents. He is very innocent when it comes to romance and is almost always a virgin. Because of his innocent manner, many erotic fantasies use the boy next door purely as a pretense behind which a real man is secretly very sexual.
See also
- HeroHeroA hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
- Girl next doorGirl next doorThe cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...