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This post covers Determined Widow, Widow Woman, and maybe College Widow

Determined Widow's description loosely summarized is "A Damsel in Distress that is a widow who often falls in love with a hero and is common in the Western Genre." At face value, comes off as Same But More Specific: Damsel in Distress + Romancing the Widow, and it's not really clear how being a widow matters to the classic Damsel in Distress trope.

But the wick check shows a bigger issue: none of the wicks follow that definition. The majority are some version of "this character is a widow/became a widow" and that's it, which I guess would fall under Widow Woman. There are a few that fall under Taking Up the Mantle / Take Up My Sword (listing both because in most cases the widows do this independent of their deceased spouse telling them to do so, which falls under Taking Up the Mantle, however that trope is written as if it's superhero exclusive whereas Take Up My Sword is written to fit more situations). And then others seem like they're trying to suggest a tough, hardened, determinator widow archetype, i.e. husband dying made them tougher because they had to be tougher to keep everything together.

Here's the wick check snapshot:

Widow Woman however has its own issue. Specifically, 1) I'm not certain "being a widow" in of itself is tropeworthy and 2) it's not clear if Widow Woman even is a trope or an index: it has no examples, is a broad summary of a dubiously tropeworthy role, but is of the trope page type. I asked about this on Trope Talk whether this was a trope, an example-less super trope, or an index, and didn't get much clarfication either way.

College Widow on the other hand is a more straightforward case of a starving trope. Been around since 2008, only 23 examples (10 of which are actual examples), but it's explicitly a Forgotten Trope, so it's unclear if it being starving is even a bad thing / something that needs correcting.


So what to do?

Seeing as none of the examples for Determined Widow fit the definition, this trope can't stay as is, obviously, but the solutions I can think of are kind of dependent on what happens to Widow Woman / whether or not we think "being a widow" is a tropeworthy concept. Some possible courses of actions:

As for College Widow, we just need to decide whether certain designations like Forgotten Trope and some of those listed on Discredited Trope are protected classes in which our typical metrics for deciding action should no longer apply.

  • If yes, then nothing need be done (though we might need a larger discussion in trope talk / wiki talk to decide which tropes this should apply to and how far this goes)
  • If no, then again, depends on what becomes of Widow Woman:
    • if WW gets cut, turned into a proper index, or merged into other indices, there's no real place for this to go so it should probably get cut for being Too Rare to Trope
    • If WW becomes a supertrope with examples, this can be merged into it as an Internal Subtrope. But if no examples, then again, cut.

I'm torn, tbh. I think all options are fair solutions in their own way.

Wick check:

Definition: A Damsel in Distress and Love Interest that's a Widow, typically in the Western Genre.

Wicks Checked 50

     Just "Is a Widow" 
  • Fuller House: The series starts a year after her husband, Tommy, passed away. A non-Western-genre version, but holds some of the same traits.
  • The Ring - Books: She carried on after her husband's death, taking care of her sick son despite knowing full well that he will not make it without a cure. And her life after Kaoru's decision to return to LOOP can be considered a second widowhood, as well, since she vows to raise her baby in new world that Kaoru has sacrificed his life to make.
  • Timeline 191 United States of America: Her first husband was the one who ultimately set her free from her previous occupation, taking responsibility for her daughter and setting up the family business. Sadly, he did not live long after Enda's birth.
  • The Magnificent Seven (1998): Mary is this, after her husband is killed. It's why she stays in the town.
  • StreetPass Mii Plaza: Male version. After completing Dr. Heynen's job In Loving Memory with a perfect rating, Ms. Blossom reveals that his wife died young due to an illness she had. Since then, he dedicated his life to becoming a doctor and making sure that people live long lives so they don't suffer the same fate she did.
  • The Squire's Tales: Sarah essentially becomes this after Alexander's murder, though he died before the wedding.
  • Moonlight Becomes You: Maggie was widowed around five years prior to the story; her husband Paul was in the navy and was killed in a training accident. Although she clearly misses him and is occasionally saddened by things that remind her of him, Maggie goes about her life as normal and has even started dating again. She notes at one point that for years she kept her hair and make-up the way Paul liked it, but since last year has started wearing both differently.
  • There Was a Crooked Man...: After escaping, Pitman tries to steals a horse from a widow. She catches him and threatens him with a gun.
  • None Shall Escape: Marja mentions at the beginning of her testimony that her husband was killed during the Nazi invasion of Poland. She spends the rest of the movie being pretty openly hostile to the Nazis, Wilhelm in particular.
  • Thief: Deadly Shadows: Despite her relatives and servants thinking they can manipulate her to their own ends, she's defiant to their ulterior motives and insincere pandering even after her husband's death. She's even a bit of a Disabled Snarker.
  • The Strain TV Series Main: Combined with a bit of Take Up My Sword. She tells Eph that her husband died on 9/11, and it inspired her into public service.
  • The First Law Union Citizens: Married a far older man to pay off her father's debt, and gradually took over his responsibilities in the Guild of Spicers as his health declined. After his death, she effectively inherited his title as a Magister.
  • Supernatural: The WinchestersMy Heart Will Go On: She takes news of John's death hard following her resurrection and takes the wrong help from the wrong people, shunning her sons in favor of the Big Bad. Her role in Season 12 is to show her attempts to properly move on and thus become a Determined Widow.
  • Star Wars - The Partisans: Her husband died distracting Imperial troops so that she and Sienna could escape. You can find his corpse in a cave on Zeffo; doing so before your first meeting with her unlocks an alternate conversation between her and Cal.
  • Saving Grace: Grace becomes a lot more confident and sure of her self over the course of the movie.
  • Phantasy Star IV: The Compendium has a side note about her life after the game is over; at the time, it was just a footnote and some doodles, but the continuation of the series into the Online games seems to have made it canon: Chaz dies before he's 30, leaving Rika to formally join the Hunter's Guild and raise their half-Numan son.
  • Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team: It only comes up in one scene, but her husband was a doctor. It's unclear whether he was killed during the One Week Battle or at some other point during the war.
  • Legend of the Galactic Heroes: The Free Planets Alliance: After Yang's death, she became the head of the government council for the self-proclaimed Iserlohn Republic.
  • Hey Arnold! - The Adults: Part One: Back in Vietnam, he was raising Mai all by himself, his wife nowhere to be seen. (It's possible she fell victim to Death by Childbirth, but this is never confirmed.) After he comes to America, he spends a good amount of time searching for his daughter.
  • Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones - Playable Characters: Queen Ismaire - She took over as ruler when her husband died. As the ruler of Jehanna is also the high guildmaster of all of the mercenary guilds in the country, this was no small feat.
  • Fire Emblem Genealogy Of The Holy War Non Playable Characters: Does what's in her hands to keep Silesse stable after losing her husband/Lewyn's dad (and the one with major Forseti blood).
  • Ceres, Celestial Legend: She got herself back onto her feet and took care of Yuuhi. She also joins Aya's quest to find a celestial robe and take on the Mikage family, though she mostly remains in the background and only researches things.
  • Boardwalk Empire Other Characters: She finances her political activities with the money left to her by her late husband, an oil tycoon.
  • Devil May Cry - OtherWidow Woman: Depending on if you believe Sparda to truly be dead. Certain continuities have Eva as a Determined Widow.

     Hardened tough widow archetype / determinator 
  • The Legend of Mother Sarah: Sarah is a typical Determined Widow: strong-willed, devoted to her family, unafraid to stand alone, usally composed and in control of her emotions.
  • When Calls the Heart: She tragically lost her husband in the mining accident. She never gives up despite her losses.
  • Ed, Edd n Eddy - Unseen Characters: Still helps with the family farm despite her husband having passed on since immigrating. Rolf refers to his departed grandfather as "Nano".
  • Death in Paradise: His wife passed away just a month before he's introduced on the show but he refuses to let others feel sorry for him and puts up a cheerful front, initially talking as though she died a year ago rather than a month. He takes the Honoré job because it presents him with the opportunity to take a step away from London and all the locations he associates with his wife, eventually returning to London when he feels like he's ready to face those memories again.

     Take's Up the late husband's cause 
  • The Crown Atomic: Soong Ching-ling, Sun Yat-sen's widow, still struggles for the cause of her husband and becomes President of China.
  • 1632: Landgravine Amalie Elizabeth of Hesse-Kassel, when her husband Wilhelm is killed in a later book. Unlike most German noblewomen of the time — or German nobles of the time, for that matter — she is possessed of quite a formidable brain, and she uses it ruthlessly to carry on her husband's work with the USE's Crown Loyalist party.
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959): Carla Göteborg falls into this role before her husband is even in the ground, declaring her intentions to continue his work by joining his rival's expedition.
  • Westworld: Humans: Even though she doesn't know about Caleb's death, she still believes that he's alive somewhere. She continues her husband's mission for a free world by leading the human resistance which is composed of outliers.
  • Shuumatsu No Walkure Record Of Ragnarok Valkyries And Other Characters: After Adam's death, she (along with her direct children and the rest of humankind) remain determined to win the tournament, showing her last respects to her husband while she prays for him.
  • Orphan Black: The Proletheans: Was made The Leader of the Proletheans' New Order following her husband's death.
  • GL - Green Lantern Corps: She took the legacy of her husband and became a GL in her own right.

     Crusading Widow 
  • Vengeful Beauty: Qiu-yan will stop at nothing to avenge her husband’s death while pregnant with her first child.
  • Different Tales, Different Lessons: Played with but mostly subverted. While Xiulan is absolutely determined, does have a child to live for, and would very much like to avenge her husband, she spent most of the original novel as an antagonist, because the protagonist was the one who made her a widow (twice, she thinks). She did become a target of the Big Bad's—but by being put through Demonic Possession and More than Mind Control so as to inadvertently become his servant, so that even as she was distressed she also caused distress for others. In the end, however, she does decide to live on and let go of her hate, because Zhuang makes it clear to her how much he wants this and how much her future happiness and Yi's depends on it. And while she won't be going on to fight herself, nor is she carrying on Zhuang's work, she does agree to let Yi spend time with Tai Lung as his god-daughter and eventually train in kung fu with him, all things Zhuang would want or which would bring about the peace and forgiveness he embraced in life.
  • The Realms Within: Alagost: After Otis is murdered, she becomes fixated on hunting down his killer while keeping the Swamp Snakes' business afloat.

    Romancing The Widow 
  • Batalha dos Guararapes: Ana Paes, a homestead owner who became massively indebted following her husband's death and becomes João's love interest.

    ZCE 
  • The Bible — Ruth
  • Hell on Wheels: Lily Bell again. She is the perfect embodiment of this trope.
  • The Lords of Creation: Sally Yamashita was sent to mars with her husband, a fairly standard arrangement with Jeremy being one of the few exceptions. She's built herself into being the main go-between for American interests and the main martian culture and Jeremy is getting a crash course from her before he can be let off the reservation before the plot hits them. — not even clear if she's a widow
  • Drums Along the Mohawk: Mrs. Mc Klennar is so intimidating that when the Mohawks come to burn her house, she actually gets them to take her bed downstairs instead of setting it on fire. She also takes part in the climactic battle, suffering a fatal wound in the breast from an arrow. — not even clear if she's a widow
  • The Ghost and Mrs. Muir: Lucy is determined to live her own life in the manner that she chooses.
  • 1632: Veronica Dreeson (verw. Richter, geb. Schusterin) works her way across war-torn Europe for the sake of reclaiming lost property, in 1635: The Bavarian Crisis. — not clear she's a widow
  • Village Tales The Family: As of the midpoint of Evensong – and she makes no bones about its being a relief.
  • 24 - Kamistan — Dalia Hassan
  • Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas Gaiden: Her initial Intentions to seek power were good.
  • Bakuten Shoot Beyblade Primary: The older version; that is, relative to her protagonist son. She's Daichi's Number 1 supporter for his sake and for Daigorō's legacy.
  • Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers — Sherriff Bob Ladd

Edited by GastonRabbit on Dec 10th 2022 at 3:34:24 AM

RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#26: Dec 16th 2022 at 12:17:41 PM

I (and prolly other tropers) have been doing some cleaning and Widow Woman is now down to 240 wicks.

EDIT: [down](x4) Thanks.

Edited by RandomTroper123 on Dec 17th 2022 at 12:46:39 PM

Yindee Just stoic wisdom. from New England Since: Jul, 2016
amathieu13 Since: Aug, 2013
#29: Dec 17th 2022 at 10:02:51 AM

And all the wicks have been cleared! Can close the thread

MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
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6th Dec '22 10:03:05 PM

Crown Description:

What should be done with Determined Widow and Widow Woman?

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