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[[quoteright:300:[[WebOriginal/OSTan https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shrinking_violet_2.jpg]]]]

->'''Rick:''' Sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?\\
'''Alice:''' What?\\
'''Rick:''' The mirror. You can't see yourself in it.\\
'''Alice:''' I don't want to.
-->-- ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet4TheDreamMaster''

Painfully shy and quiet, the Shrinking Violet is the withdrawn character, usually but not always female, who walks through the school hallways with her head down and wants nothing more than to blend in with the scenery to avoid all attention because she believes that her presence is worthless or unwanted. Often TheQuietOne. Expect her to [[ApologisesALot apologise a lot]]. She will usually be better than average in scholastic classes, and her appearance will often be pretty in a bookish sort of way, although not all shrinking violets need to be geniuses or nerds. Bonus points if she has long dark hair that [[HidingBehindYourBangs hides]] her eyes.

The reasons for her (lack of) self-confidence vary, but they usually include intimidation (or [[BreakTheCutie bullying]]) by the popular ones, or being the youngest and more sheltered daughter in the family, or in more dramatic cases, a personal event that convinced her that the world would be better off if she just shut up. In other cases, the Shrinking Violet actually manages to avoid the brunt of fights or taunts that more vocal outcasts take, presumably because she's so quiet that she might as well be invisible.

Some Shrinking Violets will accept their status, but be plagued with that nagging feeling that they can be more than they assume. Other Shrinking Violets [[IJustWantToHaveFriends will hate their crippling insecurities and want to reach out to others, but be paralyzed by fear of rejection]]. Some start out hating their fears, but learn that FearIsNormal. Unlike TheSnarkKnight, they didn't choose to be alone, but feel powerless to change it. They may even harbor a [[SingleGirlSeeksMostPopularGuy secret crush on a popular male classmate]], or even on a [[FanOfUnderdog male classmate who frequently gets picked on]], which they, time and time again, [[CannotSpitItOut cannot spit out]]. Prone to blushing. Some versions may be ProneToTears as well, while others are better at repressing their emotions.

One advantage to being the Shrinking Violet is that, being outside the viciously popular circle, the few friends she manages to make are [[TrueCompanions the loyal, lifelong ones who'd give their right arms]] to help [[AFriendInNeed a true friend in need]]. Which they will, because the Shrinking Violet is invariably of the sweet-tempered, delicate type who makes a great friend and a lousy criticism taker from the AlphaBitch or her GirlPosse.

In the end, the Shrinking Violet will always find her inner beauty and strength [[ThePowerOfFriendship with the help of her newfound friends]] (or [[ThePowerOfLove lover]]), [[GrewASpine Grow a Spine]], and blossom into a mature, self-confident woman who [[WellDoneSonGuy would make]] [[SoProudOfYou her parents proud]]. Well... [[BreakTheCutie not]] [[KillTheCutie always]]. But generally. Sometimes the shy exterior remains towards strangers, and it's only the new friend (and the audience) who gets to see the wonderful person inside. The BeautifulAllAlong discovery is optional, but highly recommended.

In stories taking place in [[FantasyCounterpartCulture an Asian-like place, particularly Japan]], the Shrinking Violet may grow into a YamatoNadeshiko; still unassuming and possibly quiet, but no longer weak. SilkHidingSteel is another possibility, which her reputation as this trope will strengthen.

In rare cases, a Shrinking Violet's mousiness [[BewareTheQuietOnes will conceal]] a [[CuteIsEvil malevolent]] and/or [[CuteAndPsycho violent]] personality. Sometimes, this is also used to conceal the extremely creepy UncannyValleyGirl.

A male version of this trope [[DoubleStandard may be treated as an instant]] ButtMonkey [[DoubleStandard for everyone to martyr]], or just called out as an emo (unlike the female one, who is so sympathetic that beating her up or even yelling at her is [[KickTheDog akin to a]] [[ThisIsUnforgivable MAJOR offense]] [[TrueCompanions for her friends]]), or he might be given the role of sympathetic PluckyComicRelief and overlap with a LovableCoward. A male Shrinking Violet protagonist will usually face a conflict that finally forces him to come out of his shell, or he'll be thrown headlong into sociability and adventure at the start of the series by a GenkiGirl, MagicalGirlfriend, [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs or]] ManicPixieDreamGirl. However, straight examples are not uncommon, especially for younger boys.

Shrinking Violets are often [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience associated with]] cool colors, especially violets/purples and sometimes blue, in their clothes, eye, or hair color. See also ShyBlueHairedGirl.

If two Shrinking Violets fall in love with each other, expect them to be TwiceShy.

FriendlessBackground can cause this.


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!!Examples with their own subpages:

[[index]]
* ShrinkingViolet/AnimeAndManga
* ShrinkingViolet/FanWorks
* ShrinkingViolet/{{Film}}
* ShrinkingViolet/{{Literature}}
* ShrinkingViolet/LiveActionTV
* ShrinkingViolet/VideoGames
* ShrinkingViolet/VisualNovels
* ShrinkingViolet/WesternAnimation
[[/index]]

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!!Other examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* The ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'':
** Salu "[[TropeNamer Shrinking Violet]]" Digby lived up to this trope in the post-''Comicbook/ZeroHourCrisisInTime'' reboot. The Threeboot subverts this trope by making Salu a brash ActionGirl, who hates being called Shrinking Violet. She's Atom Girl.
*** The original/post-''Comicbook/InfiniteCrisis'' incarnation of Salu started out somewhat shy but TookALevelInBadass after being abducted, and became a rather aggressive version of the ActionGirl.
** In the Threeboot, the shy character who nobody notices is Invisible Kid.
* Felipe from ''ComicStrip/{{Mafalda}}'' is a male Western example.
* In ''Comicbook/NewCrusaders'', we have Ivette Velez, who becomes the new Jaguar.
* Believe it or not, seductive vamp ComicBook/PoisonIvy from Franchise/{{Batman}} was one, before she became the psychopath she is today.
* Klara Prast of the ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}''. Given her horrible, abuse-filled past, this is probably not surprising.
* ComicBook/{{X 23}} has shades of this. Because of her DarkAndTroubledPast she struggles to express herself or connect with others emotionally, frequently goes through periods where she avoids contact with others, and is often withdrawn and quiet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Music/{{Mothy}}'s song [[Music/EvilliousChronicles Daughter of White]] (and hell, the character of [[TheWoobie Clarith]] in general) is a major one of these.
* Music/{{Queen|Band}}'s "Sheer Heart Attack" seems to describe one of these, with the lyrics "Well you're just seventeen, all you wanna do is disappear..."
* Music/AlessiaCara's debut single "Here," written after realizing how much she hates parties and large crowds.
-->Right next to the boy who's throwing up/Cause he can't take what's in his cup no more/Oh God why am I here?
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Podcasts]]
* Yuki from ''Podcast/{{Sequinox}}'' is rather shy, especially when it comes to people she has a crush on. When she's fighting in her MagicalGirl form as Winter, though, she becomes a LargeHam.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Roleplay]]
* ''Roleplay/DawnOfANewAgeOldportBlues:''
** Harriet is withdrawn, self-loathing, and feels she doesn't deserve the attention or love of others. She frequently appears to be skittish, and her dialogue contains a lot of ellipses.
** Ivy is shy, introverted, has a [[SpeechImpediment stutter]], hates standing out, and has strong self-esteem issues. While she can stand up for herself, or for her friends, the moments are few and far-between.
** Jenna is quiet, shy, and tends to fret over the little things. This has worsened since she gained her power, which turned her into a [[TheWormThatWalks mass of insects]] and all but forced her to constantly hide herself with a hoodie.
** Josephine is very reclusive, and suffers from a low self-esteem and distrust of others. She fears that people will think she's annoying if she tries socialising with them. She can barely even manage to say hello when she comes across Hyeon.
* Gloria Benson in V4 of ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest''. She's always whispering, stuttering, ''and'' blushing when she speaks. Even when she talks to her friends, she's painfully shy/quiet, and keeps apologizing for what she says. Lucy Ashmore, also from v4, qualifies as well. She's just as shy, due to [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer bullying]]. Sometimes this slides into CuteClumsyGirl territory as well, due to her nervousness.
* ''Roleplay/WeAreOurAvatars'': At first, Marcia did not like talking with the others. But she warms up to them and becomes more friendly over time.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theater]]
* Laura from ''Theatre/TheGlassMenagerie'' fits this to a T. She is so shy that she cannot leave the house or get a job, and (hooray symbolism) spends a lot of time caring for her collection of fragile, delicate glass animals.
* Some productions of ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'' play Ophelia this way.
* The titular character of ''Theatre/DearEvanHansen'' is a male example, with his severe social anxiety and low self-esteem leaving him fitting this trope perfectly.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/AyasakiSan'': Miyu acts cool in front of everyone, but she's actually shy in front of Chiaki.
* ''WebAnimation/DCSuperheroGirls'':
** Miss Martian is this way. When introduced to Franchise/WonderWoman in episode 1 she turns invisible and she later does the same when ComicBook/PoisonIvy tries to talk to her. Apparently this is common for her and the only person she seems fine around is ComicBook/{{Starfire}}.
** Poison Ivy (who, in this series, is [[AdaptationalHeroism an introverted but kind-hearted girl rather than an Eco-terrorist]]), is, rather appropriately, this. She even admits at one point she is a "plant person, not a people person."
* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': Paper Boy is incredibly meek and stutters when he talks.
* ''WebAnimation/MangaSoprano'':
** Noriko from ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsXJXJPaRws The visualization of women's power has led to a major reversal of life.]]'' is bullied by Erica for being a plain girl. When numbers appeared on everyone's heads that measure [[spoiler:femininity]], the former has a 100, while Erica's was a zero.
** Yuka from ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuN7TzTKQa0 An experienced woman mounting with male experience. However...]]'' is an office lady bullied by Moeka and her GirlPosse.
** In ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGAqi20xBbs A classmate makes fun of me for being skinny and plain a few years later]]'', Kanade is a clumsy, plain girl, complete with twin braids and OpaqueNerdGlasses. She is bullied by other girls, especially by Karin.
* ''WebAnimation/SekaiNoFushigi'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgnz-FIpzE Momose]] isn't flashy lacks confidence in herself in contrast to her friend Kitegawa. This leads to men taking advantage of Momose because of her passiveness which leads Kitegawa to protect her. When Saejima fell in love with her, Kitegawa tried to keep him away from Momose, but soon warmed up to him after seeing his sincere love for her.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* Mina in ''Webcomic/AlienHandSyndrome'' isn't ''completely'' withdrawn, but she's certainly awkward and uncomfortable in social situations. Her friend Erin alternates between making fun of her shyness and trying to cure it.
* Lidusis from ''Webcomic/BlackHaze'' is a classic example, only male. He's [[TheQuietOne quiet]], rarely shows his eyes, and [[StockShoujoBullyingTactics is the victim of some pretty]] [[BullyBrutality severe bullying]]. One might expect the latter to be the cause of his ShrinkingViolet nature, but a flashback reveals [[LonelyRichKid he was like this as a kid, too]].
* Male example: Doug from ''Webcomic/FletcherApts'', especially when it comes to women. Also he's a Nerd and ButtMonkey when Bill is involved.
* Clementine in ''Webcomic/{{Frivolesque}}'' definitely qualifies. She has no confidence, considering herself too tall and forgettable, and blushes every time someone talks to her.
* Rhoda of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' is a near-literal example, a petite girl whose perception of her own size [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2010-12-29 actually shrinks when she feels intimidated]]. She appeared early on in the background of [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-06-28 one single strip,]] and [[http://www.egscomics.com/sketchbook/?date=2006-06-30 became a bit of a fan favorite]] despite the fact that she hadn't done anything at that point.
* Calixta from ''Webcomic/EnnuiGo'' is extremely shy, easily flustered, and speaks with a stutter. Also helps that she literally has violet-colored hair and eyes. Of course, she's also prone to show her affection through physically assaulting someone, like her crush/boyfriend Max Pritchard.
* Yuri, aka ''Webcomic/IronVioletTheShyTitan'' is a very shy and insecure girl. AbusiveParents are implied to be the cause of this plus past bullying. Due to the kindness of her best friend, and her adventures as a superhero, she's slowly attempting to overcome this. She's taken on a robot girl with super-speed and a fire-throwing supervillain, yet she still blushes at the thought of wearing a miniskirt.
* Secret of ''Webcomic/KeychainOfCreation'' is like this, a renegade abyssal who suffers from severe self-esteem issues.
* Neeka from ''[[http://quietandslow.com/ Late Blooming]]'' is impossibly shy, to the point of hardly ever talking to anyone and putting all effort into avoiding contact with people.
* Curio from ''[[{{Webcomic/Morphe}} morphE]]''. To the point where he makes a habit of [[http://morphe.thewebcomic.com/comics/1840376/chapter-2-page-54-drop-dead/ faking death under pressure.]]
* Pluto from ''Webcomic/{{Nebula}}'' is a male example; he's incredibly lonely at the edge of the solar system and wants desperately to talk to the planets, but is too shy to actually approach them. They, meanwhile, think that his distance from everyone else is aloofness and that he doesn't ''want'' anything to do with them.
* ''Webcomic/NinthElsewhere'': The main character, Carmen, has elements of this.
** While a party for her is being thrown downstairs: "Maybe if I stay up here long enough they'll decide to just leave me alone."
* Gebo, the white wolf in ''Webcomic/OffWhite''. More like a real wolf than the evil, vicious monster, or emotionless, badass loner, [[AnimalStereotypes stereotypes.]]
* In ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'', Emily the witch is a downplayed example of this.
* Shinbi Yun from ''Webcomic/SurvivingRomance'' is by far the shyest and most withdrawn member of the class. She even wears a hoodie she likes to shrink into.
* The title character of ''Webcomic/{{Rain|2010}}'' starts as a shy and soft-spoken teenage girl but [[CharacterDevelopment eventually grows confidence as the story goes on]].
* Katherine of ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'' started out like this, but she is now a bit more confident, and at least willing to speak to some people.
* ''[[http://wrightasrayne.thecomicseries.com/ Wright As Rayne]]'' proudly features Laura Croft, who unlike [[Franchise/TombRaider a different character with a similar name,]] [[http://wrightasrayne.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/81467 couldn't be more timid if she tried.]]
* In ''Webcomic/YumisCells'', Yumi has a lot of trouble speaking her mind and standing up for herself, partly due to a breakup doing a number on her self-confidence.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Videos]]
* ''WebVideo/TheAutobiographyOfJaneEyre'': Jane is a quiet and lonely girl who doesn't have any friends and any good family. She's nice, but has NoSocialSkills. It's quite unusual that such a girl would start vlogging and sharing her life with the internet. She considers it a challenge and a brave thing to do, and she would like to get some help from her viewers.
* Subverted in ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog''. The title character is painfully shy, and has been quietly in love with a girl from his laundromat for months. Ironically, his alter ego is a megalomaniacal villain who wants to rule the world.
* In ''WebVideo/HiImMaryMary'', Mary avoids showing her face in full in the series, citing the fact that she's [[{{Understatement}} shy.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-47ogt1TjqA&feature=channel_video_title lifeattheextremes]] has documentaries on what it's like to have the DSM recognized personality disorders including the avoidant.
[[/folder]]

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[-- Please stop looking at me... --]
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