{"id":165,"date":"2023-10-11T23:18:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T23:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/cliffhanger\/?p=165"},"modified":"2023-10-12T14:15:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T14:15:27","slug":"trope-grumpy-dad-adoptive-kid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalwriting.cornellcollege.edu\/cliffhanger\/2023\/10\/11\/trope-grumpy-dad-adoptive-kid\/","title":{"rendered":"The Grumpy Father\/ Adopted Kid: Analyzing One of Media’s Most Popular Tropes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Emma Shipley October 11th, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

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In the past few years, the grumpy-father-adoptive-kid trope has become more and more popular in all forms of media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The audience gets to meet a headstrong man used to doing things a certain way and gets thrown into the position of \u201cfather\u201d. They struggle with this newfound position, unsure of how they could bring a child through their current conditions. But the glory of it is it leads to compelling character dynamics and, more importantly, wholesome, heartfelt emotional moments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve seen characters like Hopper and Eleven from \u201cStranger Things\u201d, Joel and Ellie<\/a> from \u201cThe Last of Us\u201d and even Geralt and Ciri from \u201cThe Witcher\u201d be some of the most prominent forms of this trope. But there are, of course, way more examples. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mandalorian: Din Djarin and Grogu <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2019\u2019s \u201cThe Mandalorian\u201d saw The Mandalorian, Din Djarin, care for what the fans deemed \u201cbaby Yoda\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Mandalorian and Grogu, Lucasfilm I Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These two quickly became a fan-favorite duo with Din\u2019s apprehension and Grogu\u2019s goofiness. Din was a very reserved individual, only doing the job he was paid for and then hunkering down until he was needed again. When Grogu came into his life, things quickly turned on their head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While in season 1 they had smaller moments where Din was warming up to having a kid around, by seasons 2 and 3 he had officially taken on the \u201cdad\u201d title. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dad of the Year Award<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Din and Grogu reunite, Lucasfilm I Kofi Outlaw, Comicbook.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We love watching a character get crazy protective over someone, especially if they are a younger character or a loved one. In the show, Din goes through hell and back multiple times to protect this little guy. Whenever Grogu is in immediate danger, Din doesn\u2019t hesitate to throw himself in the line of fire to keep him safe. We see this in season 1 when the guild attacked, in season 2 when he fully dove into the ocean to save him from drowning, and again in season 3 during the finale. All in all, Din does a fantastic job of always ensuring Grogu\u2019s immediate safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it works<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all have a part in us that wants these close bonds. We want to feel like \u201cit\u2019s us against the world\u201d or \u201cnothing can come between us\u201d. Which is why Din and Grogu\u2019s relationship is so well written. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They bring out the best in each other. Din becomes more open and Grogu becomes braver. Considering they both come from a traumatic past, having these two feel more comfortable around each other is what sells their relationship. Din had trouble trusting many people outside his work or his Mandalorian covert. With Grogu, he has a deeper sense of need than just getting credits from a job. He’s devoted to getting Grogu back to his kind, going out of his way to help different people just to get Grogu where he needs to be. Din is gentle with him and tries to be the proper caretaker for the time being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Grogu offers a sense of comfort and purpose. He makes Din laugh, helps him see different perspectives, and helps drive him to be better. The only reason Grogu gets trained in the way of the Mandalore and the Jedi is because he knows he belongs with Din as a Mandalorian foundling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Din sometimes feels he isn\u2019t capable of raising a kid, the fact that he chooses to be a father <\/a>makes his character more lovable and relatable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in turn, it makes the two of them seem like together, they could conquer anything the galaxy throws at them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Mandalorian and Grogu, Lucasfilm l Rachel Hunt, Cheatsheet.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

MARVEL: Tony Stark and Peter Parker <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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happy father\u2019s day to peter parker and tony stark pic.twitter.com\/tKkJUb5XMh<\/a><\/p>— jules (@webshootrs) June 20, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>