History ManChild / Literature

* Sharon from ''Literature/WorldWarZ'' is one of the more tragic examples. She's one of the "ferals", young people who grew up with little (if any) human contact after losing (or being abandoned by) their parents during the Great Panic, and has mentally never progressed beyond the level of a young child. However, she has retained some languages skills and is able to describe the events which led to her living wild, albeit in a very simplistic way.

** When he starts remembering things later on, he can remember being [[FreudWasRight aroused]] by girls when he was little, which ended with his [[FreudianExcuse mother's]] traumatizing responses.

* Lennie Small from ''Literature/OfMiceAndMen'' is a deconstruction; he's childlike due to being mentally retarded, but since he combines a small child's brain with the body of a huge, powerful man, well... things tend to turn out badly.

* Lennie Small from ''Literature/OfMiceAndMen''.

* Literature/SherlockHolmes definitely. He ''is'' capable of being serious, (especially [[BewaretheQuietOnes if his friend's life is threatened]] and does [[BunnyEarsLawyer strange things]] to solve cases.)

* Zhou Botong of the ''Condor Heroes'' martial arts novels is the TropeCodifier for Chinese literature. Despite essentially being ''the co-founder'' of one of the story's pivotal martial arts sects, he'll sneak off for fun at any given opportunity, making friends with the much-younger protagonists while imparting his unique brand of wisdom to them. SexAsARiteOfPassage is averted early on, as the fact that he sired a child with an imperial concubine, while his fellow disciple (the founder of said sect) imparted a powerful technique to the Emperor, not only forms part of his backstory but arises later as an important plot point. On top of that, he's incredibly long-lived and one of ''the novel's most powerful characters''.

* This is exactly how General Thiébault describes General Junot in his ''Mémoires'' ("At heat, he was not a man but a child, who could age but never grow up"); he gives spectacular examples of his extravagances and general immaturity, which he mentions as the main cause of his disgrace. Having read the secret diary of Junot's own wife, the Duchess of Abrantès (in which she recounts how he flew into a jealous rage and attempted to rape her upon discovering her affair with Prince Metternich), modern authors tend to put him more on the [[PsychopathicManchild psychopathic]] side instead.

* Literature/SherlockHolmes definitely. He ''is'' capable of being serious, (especially [[BewaretheQuietOnes if his friend's life is threatened]] and does [[BunnyEarsLawyer strange things]] to solve cases.]]

* Kino of ''Literature/KinosJourney'' turns out to come from a country where [[spoiler:''all'' adults are examples of this -- they're given surgery to become adults, rather than allowed to gain genuine maturity and wisdom. Their apparent adulthood turns out to be nothing but the thinnest of veneers, and any real stress or deviation from routine reveals them to be little more than children in adult bodies, going through the motions of maturity. The scene where they childishly fumble for the "mature" way of dealing with one of them murdering [[LegacyCharacter the original Kino]] in what amounts to an overgrown temper tantrum is horrifying.]]

** At least she's an immature teenager (despite InformedAbility claims to be mature), albeit even more selfish and perspective-challenged than most. What's Edward's excuse?

* Speaking of Cullens, Edward of Twilight is over 100 years old, a virgin, and decides to start a relationship with a human whose blood [[SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious smells sweet]] to him & his presence puts her in constant danger. He gets better, although she gets MUCH worse

* Tom Cullen in ''Literature/TheStand'' (due to being mentally disabled). He's middle-aged, but enjoys playing with toy cars.
* Speaking of Cullens, Edward of Twilight is over 100 years old, a virgin, and decides to start a relationship with a human whose blood [[SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious smells sweet]] to him & his presence puts her in constant danger. He gets better, although she gets MUCH worse
** Bella herself counts towards being a woman-child with her personality usually ranging from doormat to manipulative sociopath with her manipulation of Jacob & Edward.
** At least she's an immature teenager (despite InformedAbility claims to be mature), albeit even more selfish and perspective-challenged than most. What's Edward's excuse?
* Dorian Gray, from ''Literature/ThePictureOfDorianGray'' seems like one of these when first introduced. His innocence is obvious, and he is naive and gullible enough to be influenced by his friends to adopt their lifestyle ''right away'', without any opinions of his own. There's also the fact that throughout the novel he's referred to as a "boy," "lad," or "youth," even though he is at least eighteen.
** Upon realizing he won't stay pretty forever, his response is basically to ''sob into a pillow''.

* The title character of ''Literature/BillyBudd'' is a textbook example.
* Zhou Botong of the ''Condor Heroes'' martial arts novels is the TropeCodifier for Chinese literature. Despite essentially being ''the co-founder'' of one of the story's pivotal martial arts sects, he'll sneak off for fun at any given opportunity, making friends with the much-younger protagonists while imparting his unique brand of wisdom to them. SexAsARiteOfPassage is averted early on, as the fact that he sired a child with an imperial concubine, while his fellow disciple (the founder of said sect) imparted a powerful technique to the Emperor, not only forms part of his backstory but arises later as an important plot point. On top of that, he's incredibly long-lived and one of ''the novel's most powerful characters''.
* ''Literature/InDeath'': Poor Alice Lingstrom from ''Ceremony In Death'' turns out to be a child in a woman's body. She was just exploring Satanism and got involved in a Satanic cult. The cult drugged her and then gang-raped her. She was made into the cult leaders' slave for a time, but she left when she witnessed the two leaders sacrifice and murder a young boy. She actually thinks a spell had been cast on her, and that one of the leaders is a shapeshifter. Considering that she is suffering from trauma and paranoia, it is safe to say that her status of Womanchild is being PlayedForDrama.

* Bertie Wooster from ''Literature/JeevesAndWooster''. His valet is implied to be acting as his ParentalSubstitute, and he's very childish in general--loves playing in the shower "like a two-year-old", doesn't know how to deal with women, and never got over his fear of his GrandeDame aunt.
* Lieutenant Wes Janson of the Franchise/XWingSeries is a classic example, between his pranks, general irreverence towards everything in life, and his boundless sense of humor. He ''is'' capable of being serious, when actively shooting at things, but it's not his natural state. However, he explains that this is a deliberate part of his philosophy of living life to its fullest, given the mortality rate of his [[AcePilot chosen profession]].
-->'''Janson''': I want you to remember something very important: ''you can't look dignified when you're having fun''.
-->'''Myn Donos''': I... I'm asking for career advice, from a nine-year-old.
* Tigger comes off as this compared to the other animals in ''Literature/WinnieThePooh''. He's even sillier and more irresponsible than the other characters, he lives with [[ParentalSubstitute Kanga]], and he's best friends with her infant son, Roo.
** He appears older, but [[FridgeBrilliance when you consider]] that he "came to the woods" (i.e. [[LivingToys was purchased]]) more recently than the other characters, he's technically younger even than Roo.

* In the ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' series, Jack Frost sleeps with a teddy bear, is scared of the dark, and on the whole is very petty and childish.

** At least she's an immature teenager (despite InformedAbility claims to be mature), though even more selfish and deluded than most. What's Edward's excuse?

** Bella herself counts towards being a woman-child with her personality usually ranging from doormat to manipulative sociopath with her manipulation of Jacob & Edward

* Tom Cullen in ''TheStand'' (due to being mentally disabled). He's middle-aged, but enjoys playing with toy cars.

* Kino of ''KinosJourney'' turns out to come from a country where [[spoiler:''all'' adults are examples of this -- they're given surgery to become adults, rather than allowed to gain genuine maturity and wisdom. Their apparent adulthood turns out to be nothing but the thinnest of veneers, and any real stress or deviation from routine reveals them to be little more than children in adult bodies, going through the motions of maturity. The scene where they childishly fumble for the "mature" way of dealing with one of them murdering [[LegacyCharacter the original Kino]] in what amounts to an overgrown temper tantrum is horrifying.]]

* ''InDeath'': Poor Alice Lingstrom from ''Ceremony In Death'' turns out to be a child in a woman's body. She was just exploring Satanism and got involved in a Satanic cult. The cult drugged her and then gang-raped her. She was made into the cult leaders' slave for a time, but she left when she witnessed the two leaders sacrifice and murder a young boy. She actually thinks a spell had been cast on her, and that one of the leaders is a shapeshifter. Considering that she is suffering from trauma and paranoia, it is safe to say that her status of Womanchild is being PlayedForDrama.
* ''Sisterhood'' series by FernMichaels: The Vigilantes seem to act like womenchildren a number of times. At least Myra Rutledge and Countess Anne "Annie" de Silva have the excuse of being rich 60-something-year-old ladies who may have never developed maturity...or they lost it as they got older! Cosmo Cricket, introduced in ''Final Justice'', could be considered this. However, he has wisdom and is quite responsible in his job as a lawyer!

* Lieutenant Wes Janson of the XWingSeries is a classic example, between his pranks, general irreverence towards everything in life, and his boundless sense of humor. He ''is'' capable of being serious, when actively shooting at things, but it's not his natural state. However, he explains that this is a deliberate part of his philosophy of living life to its fullest, given the mortality rate of his [[AcePilot chosen profession]].

* Speaking of Cullens, Edward of Twilight is over 100 years old, a virgin, and decides to start a relationship with a human who's blood [[bloodlust smells sweet]] to him & his presence puts her in constant danger. He gets better, although she gets MUCH worse

* Tom Cullen in ''TheStand'' (due to being mentally disabled).

* Tigger comes off as this compared to the other animals in ''WinnieThePooh''. He's even sillier and more irresponsible than the other characters, he lives with [[ParentalSubstitute Kanga]], and he's best friends with her infant son, Roo.