The Problematic Pixie
The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is a term coined by critic Nathan Rabin to describe female characters in films who are quirky, charming, and free-spirited, and whose primary function is to inspire and save the male protagonist. (deeper hook). In Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's and David Fincher's Fight Club the characters Holly Golightly and Marla Singer respectively can be seen as examples of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. Furthermore, both suggest that men need the assistance of a woman to find success. However, this perspective is problematic as it reduces women to supporting characters whose sole purpose is to aid men in their growth, and ignores their own individual agency and desires.
In Breakfast at Tiffany's,
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Marla is unpredictable, free-spirited, and challenges the narrator's perception of the world, pushing him towards rebellion against the norm. When Marla and the narrator first meet she challenges the narrator's perception of the world, which is one of the defining characteristics of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. She tells him, "I'm not gonna be the first one to die" and "This is cancer, right? Cancer. You pretend you're alive." (Fincher) From one perspective she is the woman that every man would want; someone who pushes you past your limits and abilities for the better. She could be seen as a motivator for the narrator's transformation, as he becomes more confident and assertive as a result of their interactions. “The way a Christmas tree is the center of attention, then, after Christmas you see those dead Christmas trees with the tinsel still on them, dumped alongside the highway” (Fincher). As seen in this quote Marla's role as a Manic Pixie Dream Girl is vexed as it reduces her to a supporting character whose sole purpose is to help the male protagonist; ignoring her desires, wants and needs until eventually she isn’t important. Additionally Marla is never seen as a protagonist with room to grow, as the focus is on how she can benefit the