#visible

The Loveable Klutz

In contemporary literature we are faced with a glaring number of clichés - well in writing in general we have many a tried and trusted cliché. I am not here to name and shame these cornerstones of story-telling...HOWEVER...I do have a bone to pick.

What is with the overindulgence in the klutzy character cliché?

I came to consider these questions after watching the riveting, big screen adaption, of Fifty Shades of Grey - don't judge me I was curious. I have never read the books, mostly because I have the maturity of a giggling school girl. But, divided opinions aside, the basic character designs within the story did raise some interesting questions for me.

I must assume that Anastasia (the main character) is purposefully presented as the clumsy type. She drops things, lacks all manner of grace, and even falls flat on her mouth and nose before meeting Mr Grey himself. I also must assume that this trait is to make her character relatable to us more normal women. Sure Ana, we understand you girl, we all have those god awful, embarrassing, clumsy, moments before the hot guys who make us nervous. Really? Maybe it's just me, but hot billionaires don't really talk to me, so I seriously can't relate there Ana - you lucky thing you.

Also, on the flip side, I am going out on a limb here to suggest that her being all dorky and clumsy just makes her so appealing to the mysterious Mr Grey. I imagine the awkward, unsure, vulnerable young girl act is just so adorable to Mr Grey. He is obviously more used to sampling the more exotic and flawless model types, and of course this bumbling behaviour just entertains him enough to make him toy with the idea of lowering his high-as-a-kite standards for a minute.

Feel free to disagree...I am only picking on Fifty Shades of Grey as a clear cut example to make my very long winded point. There is a truckload of other examples, mostly in the Young Adult fiction section; Twilight, The Princess Diaries, and even Harry Potter.

Now, I am not here to moan about the clumsy character archetype - far from it. We all have 'clumsy moments' in our daily lives that make things interesting. If you were ever that kid that dropped your lunch tray in front of the whole canteen and received the obligatory roasting from your classmates - I feel your pain. Clumsiness is unavoidable, FACT.

However, what happens when clumsiness stops being an adorable character flaw and crosses the line into something more sinister?

Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, or Dyspraxia, is a chronic neurological disorder that occurs in childhood due to an immaturity in the brain. I was one of those children that suffered this isolating condition. It was sometimes, wrongly, referred to as 'clumsy child syndrome' to explain away the horrendously klutzy moments that plague a sufferer. Dyspraxia does not stop at childhood, and many adult sufferers have merely just learned ways of coping with the daily issues they face.

Clumsiness takes on a whole new meaning when you have dyspraxia, for it is not just the tripping over your own feet moments, or the slipping on icy pavements. It is living with a brain that cannot sense the world the way a 'normal' brain can. Sequencing of daily tasks, self-care, and organisational skills are all badly affected, and on top of that we generally just appear like awkward dorks.

I would wager that someone reading this right now is thinking to themselves that this label is just a load of baloney, and that I was just a disorganised, messy, and lazy kid who needed a good kick up the rear to improve myself. Frankly, if that is your thoughts - exit left now - the world really doesn't need any more closed mindedness.

Myself and plenty of other adult sufferers can testify to the existence and very real struggle of this disorder. See, it is very easy for a super duper organised and coordinated person to present us with their fool proof, timetabled to perfection, five year plans. But it is quite another for us to try and implement your fabulous ideas. Basically you may as well have presented us with complete double dutch! Reading timetables and living to a schedule is alien to someone with Dyspraxia. It is important to note that a person with Dyspraxia has an impairment of their vestibular sense (the one that helps the brain figure out where your body is in space), and just like someone with hearing or visual impairments, we have learned to cope with and read the world differently than the average joe with their fully working neuro systems.

But, my point is thus...

REAL clumsy people know that it is not an adorable flaw, and that in this context it is mostly a limiting and embarrassing character trait. Falling down and dropping a cup or two is a 'clumsy-moment' living as a person with a clumsy syndrome is much less adorable and more of a daily nightmare. I can assure you, if you asked my ex what was one of my most irritating flaws he'd respond with, 'falling down and doing clumsy and embarrassing things in public.' You see my friends, it may begin with the romantic lead finding it all terribly cute, but trust me when you accidentally head butt him for the zillionth time during a romantic moment...it loses its appeal.

So, in conclusion, for every clumsy Bella Swan, or graceless Neville Longbottom, there is a real life person living with an embarrassing coordination disorder. To my fellow writers and peers, please STOP, and consider how you are presenting clumsiness in your novels. A clumsy character should not be presented as a dopey damsel who needs the hot athletic boy to save them from themselves. They are also not the emotionally mute, graceless, awkward, character either. If you want to present your character with an enduring co-ordination problem then do your readers a favour, and tell them how it is, because the reality is simply this - not everyone loves the Klutz.

By CJ