History DamselInDistress / Literature

** Olivia in "Literature/ShadowsInTheMoonlight"
* Being Connie's obligatory {{Muggle}} friend, Tia from the ''Constance Verity'' Trilogy has been involved in a lot of Connie's adventures as more of a LivingMacGuffin before she ultimately decides to become her sidekick. Her wedding was crashed by mobsters, she was kidnapped by swamp monsters, two different types of robots, Satanists, marsupial men, merfolk from {{Atlantis}}, aliens, fire worshippers, pirates (both the normal kind and "the singing kind"), a giant chimpanzee and vampire Al Capone.

* ''Literature/TheCrimsonShadow'': {{Subverted}}. Luthien goes off to rescue Siobhan from slavery, only to learn she's ''quite'' capable of caring for herself, sneaking out of her master's house regularly.

[[DamselInDistress Distressed Damsels]] in literature.

* [[spoiler: Jez]] is kidnapped at the beginning of the second ''Literature/KingdomKeepers'' book, setting the plot in motion.

* ''Literature/BenAndMe'': Sophia, a mouse Amos meets during his and Ben's stay in France, was chased from her home at court and separated from her husband and children, the latter of whom are in captivity.

* In ''Literature/RogueStar'', Molly Zaldiver ends up captured by the newly-born rogue star which has absorbed her lover, Cliff Hawk, and somehow ended up with feelings for her it doesn't quite understand. Andy Quamodian, who is also in love with her, spends a large part of the book trying find a way to rescue her from a creature of such unimaginable power.

* Veesey-koosey, a girl in her early teens with a "Daughter Potential" of 999.999, is intentionally sent on a voyage by SolarSail in Creator/CordwainerSmith's "Think Blue, Count Two" to motivate the crew to perform heroic efforts to rescue her. She's awakened for that purpose in midvoyage. Then things get complicated: [[spoiler:Neither of the crew reacts to her as a "daughter."]]
* In Creator/WenSpencer's ''Endless Blue'', Paige is captured by Mary's Landing and Turk must come to her rescue. [[spoiler:Also Eraphie did not flee of her own will but was captured by Hardin; Mikhail comes to her rescue as soon as that becomes clear.]]

* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'': Bella Swan is ineffectual against a group of rapists and Edward must swoop in to save her. Prior to this, Edward had to save her from a careening truck. Later in the book, she is ineffectual against a vampire, and Edward and his family must swoop in to save her. Subsequent books have the same formula, right down to warring factions -- werewolves and vampires -- putting aside their differences to save Bella. Bella herself is absolutely useless in a fight until she herself gets cool powers. Bella is actually the only human with enough bad luck to attract both werewolves and vampires (and various deadly situations) that are impossible to kill or harm unless by other supernatural creatures. One of the reasons of her insistence to become a vampire (aside from spending eternity with her beloved Edward) is to avert this trope. Like she says in the first book: "I can't always be Lois Lane. I want to be Superman, too."

* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': Averted in ''Literature/{{Komarr}}''. Ekaterin Vorsoisson [[spoiler:destroys the villains' secret weapon.]]

* ''Literature/{{Mogworld}}'' Meryl has this spades despite being a zombie, she regularly gets captured over the course of the book, it's seems Meryl has always been like this even her death was apparently due to some sort of virgin sacrifice, she even has trouble climbing saying always worry about the boys looking up her skirt back in her village. [[GrumpyBear Jim]] usually has reluctantly pull her out of trouble, as she one who can patch his zombie body together when he inevitably gets wrecked, though in the last part of the book he realises he does care for Meryl. [[spoiler: But then it's too late as she is deleted from the game, before not talking to Jim and apologizing for being such pain to him, it's her second death that pushes Jim to stop [[MagnificentBastard Barry]] and Simon the "creator" after the game is reset one of the rewards for Jim was reality where he is the hero that saves Meryl from some ritual priests but he refused the life for a more simplistic one with Meryl]].

* Rose ends up in this situation twice in ''Literature/TheMentalState''. Both times, she is attacked by street thugs; firstly by a gang who want to rape her and secondly by a single KnifeNut who wants to kill her. Zachary/Zack is unable to save her the first time, [[spoiler:but is able to save her the second time]].

** Jasmine is aside from later books is quite a subversion, in her introduction she saved Lief and Barda twice in the first book and slayed [[SnakesAreSinister giant snake Reeah]] in the third book. But in latter part of the first series Jasmine gets her fair share of "Damsel moments" either when fighting [[{{Shapeshifting}} Ols]] or when the Grey Guards come knocking. Hell the first book of the second series was a RescueArc for Jasmine since the [[EvilOverLord Shadow Lord]] had tricked her into traveling to [[{{Mordor}} the Shadow Lands]] with Shadow Lord knowing Lief would drop everything [[AlwaysSavetheGirl to chase after her]]. Jasmine also becomes a helpless when [[SuperDrowningSkills she is put in water]] and when they traveling in a underground ocean this a issue with Lief having to dive in after her when she swept away, the justification is the biggest amount of water Jasmine ever came across was a small stream in [[TheLostWoods Forest Of Silence]] so there was no she was gonna be Olympic swimmer.

* In ''Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth'', Milo's quest rapidly turns into one to rescue the princesses Rhyme and Reason from the Castle in the Air. Once Milo reached them, there was a huge group of very PO'd monsters racing towards them, so running was the only option any of them had.

* Creator/WilkieCollins's Victorian novel ''Literature/TheWomanInWhite'' (1860) features the character Laura Glyde (nee Fairlie), who is the embodiment of this trope. She's got the emotional strength of a Kleenex. The interesting part is that [[PluckyGirl Marian Halcombe]], her half sister, is an amazingly strong character for a [[VictorianLondon Victorian]] novel, almost an ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl by the standards of the time. While Laura is the epitome of blushing Victorian beauty and fragility, Marian is described as "ugly", even having a slight mustache on her upper lip. Maybe this is a case of an Ugly TomboyAndGirlyGirl.

* In Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's ''Literature/TheBookOfAtrixWolfe'', Saro is trapped in a spell, rendered TheSpeechless, and [[FallenPrincess ends up]] a SculleryMaid in CinderellaCircumstances.

* ''Literature/KingArthurAndHisKnightsOfTheRoundTable'', like the story it is based on, features the Lady Liones, who is held captive in a castle by the Red Knight.

* 'Literature/KingArthurAndHisKnightsOfTheRoundTable'', like the story it is based on, features the Lady Liones, who is held captive in a castle by the Red Knight.

* In Creator/PoulAnderson's "Literature/AWorldCalledMaanerek", Sonna is captured with Torrek. While Torrek is turned back to Wanen by removing his new memories and restoring his old ones, the ship decides to use Sonna as a "tension release" by lobomotizing her and letting the men rape her. [[spoiler:Wanen, his memories not so gone as they thought, rescues her before his own escape.]]

* Dimity Plumleigh-Teinmort in ''Literature/TheFinishingSchoolSeries'' often ends in this role due to being AfraidOfBlood and {{Fainting}} tendencies. Despite being in training to become a spy.
* In ''Literature/TheFlyingBoy'', Amy Simpson was kidnapped by Dr. Paigne as bait for Jeremy Floeter.

* In Creator/TeresaFrohock's ''Literature/MiserereAnAutumnTale'', Lindsey is in {{Hell}}. Lucian realizes he must open a Gate, which has been forbidden to him, to rescue her.

%%* In Creator/SarahAHoyt's ''Literature/DarkshipThieves'', Thena in the opening.

* Played straight in numerous medieval tales from all over Europe, with [[KingArthur Lyonesse, Guinevere]] and [[Literature/TristanAndIseult Iseult]] as model examples. In the ChivalricRomance, it was particularly noted as an element of the Matter of Britain, which was the supreme matter dealing with love.
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* In Creator/JamesThurber's ''Literature/The13Clocks'', the Princess Saralinda is kept in her EvilUncle's castle. [[spoiler:In fact, she is [[ChangelingFantasy not his niece]], and he intends to force her to marry him once he is free of a curse.]]

* Aouda in Verne's ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays''. She then shows more than a glimpse of an ActionGirl, though.
%%* In ''Black Beauty'', Lady Anne.
* In Creator/LMMontgomery's ''Literature/TheBlueCastle'', Valancy foolishly goes to a dance where drunken men start to harrass her. Barney Snaith arrives in time. The main character in ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' is saved by [[spoiler:her future husband]] from a catastrophe resulting from her attempt at impersonating Elaine the Lily of Astolat from Tennyson's poem. HilarityEnsues.
* In Creator/PatriciaAMcKillip's ''Literature/TheBookOfAtrixWolfe'', Saro is trapped in a spell, rendered TheSpeechless, and [[FallenPrincess ends up]] a SculleryMaid in CinderellaCircumstances.

** Jane in ''Literature/{{Tarzan}}''.
** Meriem in ''Son of Tarzan''.
** Dejah Thoris in several ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'' books, most notably from the beginning of the second to the end of the third.
** An anonymous group of women in ''The Gods of Mars'', thrown to animals, inspires a GladiatorRevolt.
** Thuvia in ''Warlord Of Mars'' and ''Thuvia Maid of Mars''
** Tara in ''Chessmen of Mars''
** Valla Dia in ''The Master Mind of Mars''
** Virginia Maxon in ''Literature/TheMonsterMen''
** Dian in ''Literature/AtTheEarthsCore''
** Emma von der Tann in ''The Mad King'' meets Barney Custer when he sees that her horse ran away with her.
** Both Sanoma Tora and Tavia in ''A Fighting Man of Mars''. Sanoma loses her spirit entirely, which is evidence enough that she is not, after all the LoveInterest.
* Literature/ConanTheBarbarian. Very often:

%%* In Creator/SarahAHoyt's ''Literature/DarkshipThieves'', Thena in the opening.
* ''Literature/DeltoraQuest'' has Jasmine who is aside from later books is quite a subversion, in her introduction she saved Lief and Barda twice in the first book and slayed [[SnakesAreSinister giant snake Reeah]] in the third book. But in latter part of the first series Jasmine gets her fair share of "Damsel moments" either when fighting [[{{Shapeshifting}} Ols]] or when the Grey Guards come knocking. Hell the first book of the second series was a RescueArc for Jasmine since the [[EvilOverLord Shadow Lord]] had tricked her into traveling to [[{{Mordor}} the Shadow Lands]] with Shadow Lord knowing Lief would drop everything [[AlwaysSavetheGirl to chase after her]]. Jasmine also becomes a helpless when [[SuperDrowningSkills she is put in water]] and when they traveling in a underground ocean this a issue with Lief having to dive in after her when she swept away, the justification is the biggest amount of water Jasmine ever came across was a small stream in [[TheLostWoods Forest Of Silence]] so there was no she was gonna be Olympic swimmer.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Although Creator/TerryPratchett insisted he was unable to write characters like this, Ginger in ''Literature/MovingPictures'' spends her short-lived Holy Wood film career ''playing the role'' of one Distressed Damsel after another.
** He's clearly forgotten Violet Botell in ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}''. Susan does lampshade it by berating her in her mind for her intentionally helpless behaviour.

* In Creator/WenSpencer's ''Endless Blue'', Paige is captured by Mary's Landing and Turk must come to her rescue. [[spoiler:Also Eraphie did not flee of her own will but was captured by Hardin; Mikhail comes to her rescue as soon as that becomes clear.]]

* In Teresa Frohock's ''Literature/MiserereAnAutumnTale'', Lindsey is in {{Hell}}. Lucian realizes he must open a Gate, which has been forbidden to him, to rescue her.

%% * Clary Fray from ''Literature/TheMortalInstruments''. So ''many'' times.

* Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell and Tiger Lily (who is an interesting case, as she is also PrettyPrincessPowerhouse) to ''Literature/PeterPan''.

* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'': Bella Swan is ineffectual against a group of rapists and Edward must swoop in to save her. Prior to this, Edward had to save her from a careening truck. Later in the book, she is ineffectual against a vampire, and Edward and his family must swoop in to save her. Subsequent books have the same formula, right down to warring factions -- werewolves and vampires -- putting aside their differences to save Bella. Bella herself is absolutely useless in a fight until she herself gets cool powers.
** Like [[Literature/TheSookieStackhouseMysteries Sookie Stackhouse]] Bella is actually the only human with enough bad luck to attract both werewolves and vampires (and various deadly situations) that are impossible to kill or harm unless by other supernatural creatures. One of the reasons of her insistence to become a vampire (aside from spending eternity with her beloved Edward) is to avert this trope. Like she says in the first book: "I can't always be Lois Lane. I want to be Superman, too."
** In the movie at least, Bella attempts to fight back against the rapists and maces the vampire before running for it. While neither is winning a battle, it's at least some form of self-preservation.
** Let's just say that it's realistic insofar as, a lot of the time, Bella could not realistically be expected to fight off vampires and so on. Everyone else's willingness to sacrifice themselves for her, on the other hand . . .
* Abby Badica when captured by Strigoi in ''Literature/VampireAcademy''. She is a cute, helpless, royal Moroi who breaks down in the face of danger. Every one of her rescuers is tempted to leave the battle and comfort it.

* In Andy Hoare's ''Literature/WhiteScars'' novel ''Hunt for Voldorius'', the Bloodtide tells the White Scars and Raven Guard that Malya is being subjected to being made a new Bloodtide, and begs them to rescue her.
* Wilkie Collins' Victorian novel ''Literature/TheWomanInWhite'' (1860) features the character Laura Glyde (nee Fairlie), who is the embodiment of this trope. She's got the emotional strength of a Kleenex.
** The interesting part is that [[PluckyGirl Marian Halcombe]], her half sister, is an amazingly strong character for a [[VictorianLondon Victorian]] novel, almost an ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl by the standards of the time. While Laura is the epitome of blushing Victorian beauty and fragility, Marian is described as "ugly", even having a slight mustache on her upper lip. Maybe this is a case of an Ugly TomboyAndGirlyGirl.
* In Creator/PoulAnderson's "Literature/AWorldCalledMaanerek", Sonna is captured with Torrek. While Torrek is turned back to Wanen by removing his new memories and restoring his old ones, the ship decides to use Sonna as a "tension release" by lobomotizing her and letting the men rape her. [[spoiler:Wanen, his memories not so gone as they thought, rescues her before his own escape.]]
* Amy Goodenough in the ''Literature/YoungBond'' novel ''Literature/BloodFever'', who is kidnapped by pirates for ransom. She ends being taken from them by the novel's BigBad, who plans to make her his wife.

* In Creator/LMMontgomery's ''Literature/TheBlueCastle'', Valancy foolishly goes to a dance where drunken men start to harrass her. Barney Snaith arrives in time. The main character in ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' is saved by [[spoiler:her future husband]] from a catastrophe resulting from her attempt at impersonating Elaine the Lily of Astolat from Tennyson's poem. HilarityEnsues.
* In ''Literature/TheMoomins'', Snork Maiden, and being so pathetic has made her the least popular character.
** She often does it on purpose, since she fancies herself as a romantic heroine. She can be quite undistressed when she ''wants'' to.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': Although Creator/TerryPratchett insisted he was unable to write characters like this, Ginger in ''Discworld/MovingPictures'' spends her short-lived Holy Wood film career ''playing the role'' of one Distressed Damsel after another.
** He's clearly forgotten Violet Botell in ''Discworld/{{Hogfather}}''. Susan does lampshade it by berating her in her mind for her intentionally helpless behaviour.

* Wilkie Collins' Victorian novel ''[[WomanInWhite The Woman in White]]'' (1860) features the character Laura Glyde (nee Fairlie), who is the embodiment of this trope. She's got the emotional strength of a Kleenex.